The mission of the Cicely Saunders Institute is to produce cutting edge innovative research to improve care for patients and families. Research at the Institute is focused on three areas:

1. Improving services: measuring outcomes and evaluating services -this research will develop more humane, dignified and cost-effective measures and models of care. It will set standards of care for all patients with cancer and other progressive illnesses, and for their families and carers, through the development and evaluation of improved services. This research will determine the most effective and cost-effective services, feeding into government policy and funding.
2. Improving assessment and treatment: focused clinical research - we are investigating more effective ways to prevent and treat difficult-to-control and poorly understood symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, depression and pain, and undertake clinical trials to evaluate new treatments.
3. Improving palliative care for the future - we will launch a new strand of research examining the palliative care needs of currently neglected groups, including older people, black and minority ethnic communities, people in socially excluded groups and in economically deprived contexts. We will establish links with ethicists and social scientists to examine spiritual and ethical issues.

The Institute’s three research areas are closely linked to the five strands of research in the Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College London:

• measuring outcomes
• evaluating and improving care
• symptom-led research
• dying in society
• needs assessment and policy

The department has an international reputation for teaching and research, and benefits from being set within a multi-faculty institution. The department’s members embrace a range of methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, and collaborate widely, within and beyond the UK.