The Developing Center of Excellence in Palliative Care Research was established in 2006 to address the critical need for research in palliative care. The overarching goal of the Center is to improve palliative care through interdisciplinary collaborative research guided by the conceptual framework from the National Quality Forum. This framework addresses structure and processes of palliative care and its physical, psychosocial, spiritual, cultural, ethical, and legal aspects.
The purpose of the Center is to: 1) support Center investigators’ programs of research, 2) develop future nurse and other researchers, and 3) produce investigators who are well-versed in clinical research methodologies appropriate to palliative care.
Palliative care is both a philosophy and an organized, structured care delivery system, which aims to prevent or relieve suffering and achieve the highest quality of life possible, regardless of stage of disease, developmental phase of life, or health care setting. Because palliative care is a highly interdisciplinary specialty, the Center’s members represent nursing, medicine, social work, law, pharmacy, chaplaincy, psychology/counseling, nutrition, rehabilitation, and other disciplines. Interdisciplinary investigators within the Center conduct research across the lifespan in various populations, disease trajectories, and settings. Research programs address issues such as pain management, family caregivers and care giving, supportive care during cancer treatment, palliative care in cancer survivors, and palliative care professional education.
