 A method for defining and estimating the palliative care population Palliative care research is challenged by a disagreement as to what palliative
care is, when it should be offered and what conditions warrant specialized palliative
care services. These challenges became evident when we used a population-based
data linkage to evaluate the delivery of palliative care services in Western
Australia. This paper describes the development of a conceptual framework to
provide minimal, mid-range, and maximal estimates of a palliative care population.
The estimates include nonmalignant conditions; realistically restrict the number
and types of conditions; and propose a time frame over which specialized services
can be offered. In defining a palliative care population for the purpose of
research, development of an estimation method simultaneously addressed the rhetoric
of palliative care with the restrictions inherent in both population-based research
and service delivery. When applied to a population, the 10 conditions of the
minimal estimate provide an acceptable guide to future research and practiced.
McNamara B, Rosenwax LK, Holman CD. From J
Pain Symptom Manage. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2006 Jul;32(1):5-12. |
| Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Beth Israel Medical Center, New York City ©2005 Continuum Health Partners, Inc. www.stoppain.org/palliative_care |
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