Research Methods in Palliative, Supportive, and End-of-Life Care

Irene J. Higginson, OBE, is Professor of Palliative Care and Policy and Founding Professor of Cicely Saunders Institute, King’s College London. She is an honorary consultant in palliative medicine, NIHR Emeritus Senior Investigator, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences, and Scientific Director for the charity Cicely Saunders International. Professor Higginson is active in research and education and in the top 1% of highly cited academics. She teaches MSc, medical andPhD students, and through her current research programmes, investigates treatments, symptom management, access and services in palliative care. She has published over 700 articles in peer-reviewedjournals, plus several books. Professor Higginson’s research has pioneered better ways to measure outcomes and quality of life, evaluate palliative care, epidemiology, effectiveness, psychosocial care, symptom assessment, breathlessness, cachexia/anorexia, and multi-morbidity.

Eduardo Bruera obtained his medical degree from the University of Rosario, Argentina. He trained in medical oncology and in 1984 relocated to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, where he directed the Clinicaland Academic Palliative Care programs until 1999. He then joined The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center where he currently holds the F.T. McGraw Chair in the Treatment of Cancer and is theChair of the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine. Dr Bruera’s main clinical interest is the care of the physical and psychosocial distress of patients with advanced cancer and the support of their families. He has more than 1300 peer-reviewed publications and given more than 900 major invited lectures. He has received several national and international awards, including, the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, and theSigillum Magnum by the University of Bologna, Italy.

Massimo Costantini is a physician, specialising in oncology, who spent his career as a clinician and researcher. His research interests are in theareas of palliative care, quality of life, and psycho-oncology. He trained as an epidemiologist at the Clinical Epidemiology Unit of the National Cancer Institute in Genoa. His main research activities in palliative care focused on studying multidimensional problems of advanced cancer patients, and on investigating the effect of palliative care services and other complex interventions on quality of care. He was Medical Director of a Hospice in Genoa, and he took the responsibility of thedevelopment and management of the