Research Methods in Palliative Care

Palliative and end of life care are concerned with the physical, social, psychological and spiritual care of people with advanced disease. It currently has a poorly developed research base, but the need to improve this is increasingly recognised. One of the reasons for the lack of research - and the variable quality of the research that is undertaken - is the difficulty of conducting research with very ill and bereaved people. Standard and well-established research methods may need to be adapted to work in this context. This means that existing research methods textbooks may be of limited use to palliative care practitioners seeking to do research for the first time, or to more experienced researchers wanting to apply their knowledge in palliative care settings. This research methods textbook is the first to be written specifically for palliative care. It has been edited by four experienced palliative care academics with acknowledged expertise and international reputations in this field. It encompasses methods used in both clinical and health services research in palliative care, with sections on clinical, epidemiological, survey and qualitative research, as well as a section covering skills needed in any research project. Each chapter provides readers with an up to date overview of the research method in question, an understanding of its applicability to palliative care and of the particular challenges of using it in this setting. It is essential reading for all palliative care researchers.

ISBN 0198530250   Pages 336 ISBN13 9780198530251 (What's this?)   Volumes 1 Publisher Oxford University Press   Weight (grammes) 512 Imprint Oxford University Press   Published in Oxford Format Paperback   Height (mm) 234 Publication date 07 Jun 2007   Width (mm) 156 Library of Congress R726.8   Spine width (mm) 17 DEWEY 616.029072   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

1		Introduction by Julia M. Addington-Hall		1
2		Principles of designing clinical trials in palliative care by Michael I. Bennett		13
3		Ethical and practical issues in designing and conducting clinical trials in palliative care by Yolanda Zuriarrain Reyna and Michael I. Bennett and Eduardo Bruera		27
4		Survey design by Julia M. Addington-Hall		45
5		Survey research : methods of data collection, questionnaire design and piloting by Julia M. Addington-Hall		61
6		Experimental and quasi-experimental designs by Massimo Costantini and Irene J. Higginson		85
7		Outcome measurement by Irene J. Higginson and Richard Harding		99
8		Systematic reviews by Marjolein Gysels and Irene J. Higginson		115
9		Qualitative methods of data collection and analysis by Sheila Payne		139
10		Ethical and practice issues in qualitative research by Frances Sheldon and Anita Sargeant		163
11		Evaluating qualitative research by Michele Crossley		181
12		Mixed methods for evaluation research by Christine Ingleton and Sue Davies		191
13		Ethnography by Jane Seymour		211
14		Documentary analysis and policy by Margaret O'Connor		229
15		How to develop a research question by Laura Kelly and Patrick Stone		249
16		Writing a research proposal by Chris Todd		259
17		How to gain research ethics approval by Peter Speck		275
18		How to use a statistician by Malcolm Campbell		283
19		How to write a paper by Julia M. Addington-Hall		293

The book is well set out, with a useful system of headings ... easily understood by somebody not familiar with the research process. ...this book will be a useful reference for those experienced in research and an invaluable guide for those embarking upon it for the first time. Palliative Care,

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