The Palliative & End-of-Life Care Research Program
The University of Washington Palliative & End-of-life Care Research Program is an internationally known research center in palliative and end-of-life care that has been in existence for over 20 years and has contributed to the science of measuring and improving the quality of palliative and end-of-life care. The Program, founded by Dr. J.Randall Curtis and currently lead by Dr. Ruth A. Engelberg, is housed in a 1500 square-foot suite of offices on the Harborview Medical Center campus of the University of Washington. The Program team has been funded by government grants and...
Read MoreA “Thank You” to Our Study Subjects
Without the support and participation of patients, family members, and clinicians our research would not be possible. Since the program began in 1999, over 2900 patients, 3120 family members of patients, and countless clinicians have participated as subjects in our various research studies. These unique individuals have generously shared with us their time, experiences, and opinions. Though palliative care and end-of-life care are often difficult topics to discuss, participants in our studies have graciously provided us with profound insights into their wishes and preferences for care. We...
Read MoreOur Web Site
The Palliative & End-of-Life Care Research Program has been studying various aspects of end-of-life care and communication since 1998. Our research goals and specific research endeavors are presented on this web site. Please use the menus above to access general information about our program and staff, our past and present specific research studies, our study results and publications, and resources and instruments that have been developed by the program,
Read MorePalliative and End-of-Life Care Differences
End-of-life care is care occurring in the last part of a patient’s life, typically in the last few months, depending on the underlying diagnosis and clinical course and also includes planning for end-of-life care. Palliative care includes end-of-life care, but also entails much more. Palliative care is care that focuses on improving the quality of life and quality of care for patients with life-threatening or life-limiting illness and their families through the prevention and relief of suffering, communication about goals of care, and early identification and assessment and treatment...
Read MoreWhy Cherry Blossoms?
Cherry tree blossoms have been used as a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life that has often been associated with the end of life. They are said to be associated with mono no aware, which can be translated as: “the pathos of things”, “an empathy toward things”, or “a sensitivity to ephemera.” The term is used to describe the awareness of impermanence or the transience of things, and a gentle sadness at their passing. Cherry Blossom. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved Sep 28, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom UW cherry tree photo...
Read MoreOlder Program News
-2014- A Very Special Announcement: Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence [December 2014] The Cambia Health Foundation has provided a $10 million gift to UW Medicine for the Palliative Care Center of Excellence. This very generous gift will help to secure the future of the Center and prompts the renaming of the Center to the “Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence” at UW Medicine. This gift will also be used to create endowments to support research, education, and clinical leadership in palliative care for UW Medicine and throughout the region. Cambia Health Foundation...
Read More