title: State of Research on Palliative Care in Heart Failure as Evidenced by Published Literature, Conference Proceedings, and NIH Funding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure (HF) is the most common diagnosis in hospitalized patients older than 65 years of age. Although these patients often need specialist-directed palliative care, <10% ever receive these services. This may be due to a lack of evidence examining the benefits of palliative care for these patients. To understand the current state of research on the interface of palliative care and HF, we examined trends in publications, presentations at national meetings, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using key terms, we identified items about palliative care and HF in the following sources: (1) the tables of contents of nine leading cardiology journals, (2) abstracts of conference proceedings from four cardiology societies, and (3) all NIH grants from 2009 to 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the journals reviewed, fewer than 1% of their publications related to palliative care. Less than 2% of HF-related sessions in conference proceedings mentioned palliative care. Of the NIH's $45 billion directed to HF research, only $14 million (0.03%) was spent on palliative care research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite calls for improving palliative care for patients with advanced HF, a lack of sufficient attention persists in research abstracts, concurrent sessions at national meetings, and NIH funding to increase the evidence base. Without these improvements, the ability to deliver high-quality specialist palliative care to patients with HF and their families will remain severely limited.
authors.affiliation: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Kira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Geriatrics Research and Clinical Care Center, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gelfman
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Jay R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Geriatrics Research and Clinical Care Center, James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Electronic address: Nathan.Goldstein@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Nathan E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005376:Financial Management / Q000191:economics*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.) / Q000191:economics*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D019452:Terminally Ill; D014481:United States
keywords: Heart failure; aging; morbidity; palliative care