Research into care at the end of life

Abstract

Death happens to everyone. Death no longer predominantly occurs suddenly but is now more likely to occur slowly, in old age, and at the end of a chronic life-limiting illness. Over the past 30 years pioneers in the field of palliative care have focused their energies on campaigning for good care at this important stage of life. However, the definition of when a patient enters this phase is currently based on clinical experience. Important end-of-life symptoms, such as pain, depression, and fatigue, have already been the subject of a National Institutes of Health summary in 2002. 1 Patrick DL Ferketich SL Frame PS et al. National Institutes of Health state-of-the-science conference statement: Symptom management in cancer: pain, depression, and fatigue, July 15–17, 2002. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2004; 32: 9-16 PubMed Google Scholar That summary focused on cancer patients, and highlighted difficulties in collating research findings because of the diversity of definitions and measurement tools used. The nebulous but important issue of quality of life in end-of-life care was addressed in a recent National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science Conference. 2 National Institutes of Health State-of-the-Science conference on improving end-of-life care Draft statement. http://consensus.nih.gov/ta/024/024EndOfLifepostconfINTRO.htmDate: Dec 6–8, 2004 Google Scholar