Objectives: To study how different care improvement programmes operate and how they improve palliative care at care planning level. Programmes to be studied include but are not limited to: the Liverpool Care Pathway, an integrated care pathway aimed at improving the quality of the dying (last hours and days of life), a programme which has been studied in different settings and countries; a computerized clinical decision support tool developed for the treatment of cancer pain and cancer related symptoms; and the interrRAI Long Term Care Facility, a comprehensive standardized instrument for evaluating needs, strengths and preferences at the end of life of those in chronic care and institutional settings. It has been implemented in many countries as an instrument to help in care planning, but international data concerning end-of-life and palliative care have not been studied so far.
 
If you want more information, please contact

• Emily West (researcher)
• Massimo Costantini (lead)