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Abstract and General information
Abstract
Reports
Aims and objectives
Abstract
The Board of Directors of the EAPC consider research a key issue for the future of palliative care and therefore decided in 1996 to put together a steering group with the aim of establishing a research network.
When the Research Steering Committee (RSC) was first established, it felt it was premature to establish a network with the aim of carrying out multicentre and multinational studies. They decided to make use of the considerable information and knowledge that already existed among palliative care experts. Since its creation the group:
- Has organised eleven expert working groups on a variety of topics for which a common European position or recommendations are needed. For these, expert groups were invited from various fields in addition to the RSC members. The results of the work of seven groups have been published, one of them in 6 languages and have been made availabe to the EAPC members. The RSC obtained the right to put a pdf file of 5 of the papers to be downloaded from our Web in Publications. One paper is ready for publication and two papers of the most recent expert groups are in preparation.
- Has organised panels and seminars for the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Congress of the EAPC and other conferences
- Held its 1st Forum on research and development for selected groups of carers interested in research, held in Berlin, 710 December 2000
- Has organised the 2nd Forum on Research in Palliative Care in Lyon, France, 2425 May 2002
- Has organised the 3rd Forum on Research in Palliative Care in Stresa, Lago Maggiore, Italy, 4-6 June 2004.
- Will organise the 4th Forum on Research in Palliative Care in Venice, Italy, 25-28 June 2004
- has participated in two Expressions of Interest to the European Community
- has submitted an application for funding to the European Community, whichhad been accepted but with conditions that could not be realised.
- Has organised a cross-sectional survey. The two main aims were to create a network of European palliative care centres and services to introduce them to collaborative research and to obtain descriptive data of the practice of palliative care across Europe. With the conclusion of this survey, the Research Network intends to perform multicentre research. The preliminary results were presented during the 1st Research and Development Conference in Berlin. Further results were presented in the session about the activities of the Research Network in Palermo on 2 April 2001. Two papers are ready for publication and we are in the process of analysing the datasets for further 3 papers.
- is preparing a project for a validation of a scale and is in the pilot phase of two studies at european level
- is evaluating different possible studies at European level.
Reports
2003 Research Network report for the General Assembly (GA)EAPC news (E)10.4.pdf 
2002 Research Network report for the GA in the Presidents report Annex1 President Report GB
2001 Research Network report for the GA Annex4a ResNet Report GB
1999 Research Network report for the GA 99-09ResNetreport.pdf
Aims and objectives 
Reports on the state of research in palliative care indicated that there are enormous differences between countries in Europe, representing different needs and expectations. Initially, the Steering Committee felt it would be premature to establish a network with the aim of carrying out multicentre and multinational studies, but it could gather information on European palliative care centres and services to introduce them to collaborative research.
Over recent years, the Steering Committee has established a network of centres and is now ready to perform multicentre research. Furthermore, the network will continue to make use of the considerable information and knowledge that exists among palliative care experts.
The Research Network has the following aims and objectives:
- To provide regular updates on the state of the art and the latest findings in research within palliative care
- To discuss and assess where research is needed, feasible and ethical in all fields of palliative care
- To perform prospective multicentre research
- To offer teaching sessions with basic principles to all professionals
- To create common outcome measures for future research
- To create the opportunity for experts in research to meet
- To establish an advisory board for palliative care research for organisations within the EU
- To draw up a European database, or encourage the establishment of national databases for:
- Centres interested in research projects
- Experts in different fields of palliative care
- Centres needing help to initiate research
- Useful documents.
The specific aims for the 20032004 are:
- To organise the third conference on research in Palliative care
- To conclude the cross-sectional survey and publish the results
- To organise two more expert groups
- To plan and initiate multicentre research
The specific aims for the 20012002 were:
- To conclude the cross-sectional survey and publish the results
- To establish an exchange and increased collaboration with national and regional research initiatives of the national associations and report on them
- To plan and initiate multicentre research
- To organise a second conference on research and development.
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