What is the study's aim?

To identify, appraise & synthesise ‘best practice’ methods to evaluate palliative and EoL care services, particularly focussing on complex service-delivery interventions and reconfigurations.

 

What are the objectives?

1. To critically review the current methods used in evaluation research in EoL care considering the full range of issues
2. Characterise the different care settings, organisational contexts, and patient groups where end-of-life research may be conducted and consider the implications of these for different methodological approaches
3. Identify practical, ethical, legal and methodological issues pertinent to EoL care research
4. Appraise the needs and views of key stakeholders, including policy-makers, research ethics committees, research funders and other regulators of research, health care professionals and patients, relatives and carers
5. Evaluate potential solutions to barriers created by the issues identified
6. Synthesise the findings of the review and stakeholder consultation to develop guidelines for undertaking evaluation research in EoL care

 

Why is this important?

The evidence base for EoL care is currently limited. There are relatively few trials of EoL care services or specific interventions (e.g. symptom support). EoL care evaluation is subject to the general concerns of evaluating complex interventions, but also poses additional challenges:

• A population group nearing the end of life
• Generalist and specialist care providers
• Multiple care settings

 

What will happen?

4 component design to identify best practice methods:

• Scoping systematic reviews on effectiveness evaluations in palliative and EoL care
• Literature appraisals, e.g. on issues of recruitment
• Web-based stakeholder consultation on best practice solutions 
• Expert ‘think-tank’ workshop on unresolved issues
   

How can I get involved?

Contact us with your expression of interest & participate as a stakeholder in the consultation. Your contribution will help shape the Methods Guidance on Developing and Evaluating Palliative and EoL Care

 

Please contact us with your expression of interest