Research

About palliative care

The field of palliative care is relatively young and has evolving opportunities to discover and explore new knowledge through clinical research.

Our team has developed a productive research program. Its continued growth is supported by patients who generously give their time to participate.

How our research serves the community

We've partnered with all other academic palliative care teams within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and we have led the development of a citywide palliative care research program.

This collaboration brings together all palliative care research resources available within the city, which allows patients from across the GTA to benefit from such integration.

What we're working on

We are currently investigating the following:

• Improving survival prediction accuracy in patients with metastatic cancer
• Qualitative exploration of nurses' experience caring for patients and their families dealing with malignant bowel obstruction
• Attitudes and perceptions of palliative sedation therapy in health care providers: A systematic review of the literature
• Readmission rates and short term outcomes after an inpatient palliative care consult
• Patient experiences with continuity of care in an outpatient palliative clinic

Recent publications

1. Granek, L., Mazzotta, P., Tozer, R., & Krzyzanowska, M. (2013). Oncologists' protocol and coping strategies in dealing with patient loss. Death Studies, 37(10): 937-952.
2. Rapoport, A., Obwanga, C., Sirianni, G., Librach, S. L., & Husain, A. (2013). Not just little adults: Palliative care physician attitudes toward pediatric patients. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 16(6), 675-679.