Challenges to and Lessons Learned from Conducting Palliative Care Research

In response to a 2005 solicitation from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, 16 investigators received funding to test interventions that would reduce the barriers that prevent Cancer Patients from receiving adequate and appropriate symptom management therapies. Since the awards have been issued, the investigators have met two times and have identified a number of challenges to implementing their re respective studies. A survey was conducted that focused oil. their experiences with hiring and retaining study personnel, gaining Institutional Review Board approval, incurring unexpected costs, challenges to accruing participants, and a listin of standard measures used in hte study. The survey was complted online by the Principal Investigator for each project in late 2006 and the initioal results were confirmed one year later by resending the initial survey and by a follow-up telephone call. All but one Principal investgator completed the survey. Obaining Institutional Review Board approval, hiring and recruiting research personnel, establishing subcontracts, adn accruing research subjects were the primary challenges experienced by the investigators. This palliative care solicitation achieved more than its original intent of stimulating research in overcoming barriers to delivering cancer symptom management, palliative care and end-of-life care. From a surevy o the challenges and issues that emerged from their projects, grantees were able to identify specific hurdles and their unique solutions that may help other ivestigators as they plan their program of research. J Pain Symptom Manage 2009; 37 : 387-394. (C) 2009 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published Elsever Inc. All rights reserved.