In a field as young as palliative care, including the specific related science and practice of physicians known as palliative medicine, there is great need for thoughtful and careful fundamental work. The Center maintains an extreme sensitivity to the vulnerability of our patient population and strives to ensure that all research carefully balances respondent burden with clinical benefit.

Research Priorities

Focus areas for the UAB Center for Palliative Care include:

• Symptom Control (e.g., Pain, Weight loss or anorexia/cachexia, insomnia)
• Health Care Delivery: models of care for improving advanced illness in the hospital and community setting
• Advanced Illness including Heart Failure, HIV Disease, COPD
• Ethics / Spirituality
• Patient - Provider Communication
• Caregiver Support, including bereavement and grief support
• Survivorship (with emphases on breast cancer and head & neck cancer survivors)

Collaborating

As part of the overall mission of research in Palliative Medicine, the faculty and staff at the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care actively participates in collaborative efforts with other institutions and agencies both locally and nationwide. Projects for collaboration are reviewed by the Research Executive Committee in order to keep the research goals and capabilities of the Center focused in priority areas. If you are interested in collaborating, please call 205.975.8197.