New book examines various phases of intervention research in hospice and palliative care

Behavioral Intervention Research in Hospice and Palliative Care: Building an Evidence Base sets forth research considerations and guidelines to build evidence-based interventions to improve end-of-life care.

The new book by George Demiris, PhD, a Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor in Penn Nursing's Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, is an in-depth introduction to implementation research and showcases how a clinical need is identified to inform an intervention. The book extensively examines the various phases of intervention research, including design, implementation, evaluation, dissemination and translation. The book focuses on methodological, ethical and practical issues in order to:

• Inform readers how to conduct intervention research toward identifying best care;
• Advise readers on design, implementation and evaluation of research; and
• Provide step-by-step templates to develop an intervention study.

It includes mock protocols from successful intervention trials and synthesizes lessons learned by established intervention researchers in hospice and palliative care.

"The science behind the quality of hospice and palliative care lags behind that of traditional medical practice, despite the continuous growth of palliative care interdisciplinary teams," said Demiris. "Researching, developing and testing strategies is essential to advancing the effectiveness and value of this care."