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Open research questions in Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

816 gap statements mined from Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,118 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

Choosing where to publish on Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues? See the ranked Medicine journals.

What the literature leaves open

  • Individual related barriers refer to the unique personal, family and staff factors that may hinder equitable access to palliative care and bereavement support. Restricted communication and poor understanding or awareness of available services are common barriers. The lack of centring on the perspectives of population groups experiencing inequity is a limitation.

    Inequity in palliative care and bereavement support: an umbrella review of the evidence · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of centring on the perspectives of population groups experiencing inequity is a limitation. Most existing research has captured the needs and experiences of populations facing inequity indirectly, rather than through self-reported, meaningful, first-hand engagement.

    Inequity in palliative care and bereavement support: an umbrella review of the evidence · 2026 · DOI

  • However, challenges in end-of-life care practice persist in such settings, and associated factors remain underexplored.

    Factors Associated With End‐of‐Life Care Practice in Nonspecialist Palliative Care Settings: A Capability–Opportunity–Motivation Perspective · 2026 · DOI

  • Although previous studies have focused largely on professionals and informal caregivers, patients' own perspectives remain insufficiently understood.

    Living the transition: Experiences of patients receiving palliative care from hospital to home – A phenomenological study · 2026 · DOI

  • For Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonism (AP), ACP is particularly important because of disease complexity, symptom burden, the progressive nature of the disease, and cognitive decline, yet its implementation across care settings remains unclear.

    Charting the future: A multi-setting medical chart study of advance care planning in Parkinson's disease and atypical Parkinsonism · 2026 · DOI

  • No studies have explored the appropriateness or timing of discussions of PC and planning for future medical needs at the transplant center with patients for whom transplant is not an option.

    “Leave a Little Ray of Hope”: Perspectives From Providers, Patients, and Caregivers on Palliative Care and Future Health Care Planning for Patients Ineligible for Kidney Transplantation · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on developing measures of complex need for palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions, as well as inclusive and appropriate interventions to address disparities.

    How many children have palliative care needs and which of them are less likely to be actively seen by services? A cross-sectional analysis of survey data · 2026 · DOI

  • Advancements in technology have the potential to support home-based care, yet little is known about children's own communication needs, their views on home-based care and the possibilities of technology to support communication.

    Communication, everyday life and technology from the perspectives of children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions: a qualitative study · 2026 · DOI

  • In Côte d’Ivoire, cancers are often diagnosed at advanced stages, yet data on healthcare staff preparedness are scarce.

    Connaissances, Attitudes et pratiques des Professionnels de Santé sur les Soins Palliatifs à Abidjan et Bouaké : Une Étude Transversale de 58 Soignants · 2026 · DOI

  • Residents may not develop skills adequately, and little is known about how they learn those that they do have.

    Discovering What Works Well: Exploring Primary Palliative Care Education in Pediatrics Residency Programs in Canada · 2025 · DOI

  • PwPs were infrequently referred to PC services, and while several referral criteria were identified, no consensus emerged.

    Early thinking palliative care for people with Parkinson's disease: A thematic synthesis based on a systematic mixed-methods review · 2025 · DOI

  • Barriers to accessing PC included insufficient information, inadequate education, difficulties determining referral timing, limited home-based care options, inconsistent provider support, and disparities linked to socioeconomic and cultural factors.

    Early thinking palliative care for people with Parkinson's disease: A thematic synthesis based on a systematic mixed-methods review · 2025 · DOI

  • Level and increase in symptom severity did not improve over time for both cancer and non-cancer decedents, suggesting that improvement of palliative care is warranted for both groups.

    Two decades of end-of-life conditions of older adults: older and more protracted? · 2025 · DOI

  • There is evidence of socioeconomic inequality in palliative and end-of-life care, yet little is known about how pain might differ according to financial status.

    Financial status and pain in the last week of life: Insights from a nationally representative mortality follow-back survey in England and Wales · 2025 · DOI

  • Despite this inescapable truth, the management of dying patients in acute care environments remains remarkably underexplored in research and education, especially when compared to life-extending interventions.

    Beyond life extension– is it time for ‘Emergency Last Aid’ training? · 2025 · DOI

  • Further external validation in diverse populations and healthcare settings is warranted to confirm its generalisability.

    Development, validation, and clinical utility of a risk prediction model to identify older women with dementia for proactive palliative care · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on identifying areas for further development and assessing its impact on palliative care outcomes.

    Co-design of the Intelligent HOme-based Palliative care for End-of-life system: A development and feasibility study · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a lack of evidence to support implementation, particularly for families after an expected child death.

    Child death review: understanding variations in practice using normalisation process theory · 2025 · DOI

  • However, the reasons patients willingly withdraw from elective dialysis under varying disease prognoses, and the factors that influence these decisions, remain unclear.

    Exploring Willingness: What Drives Dialysis Withdrawal Decisions in Patients With End-stage Renal Disease? A Cross-sectional Study · 2025 · DOI

  • While there is growing emphasis on integrating palliative care for patients with HF, limited data exist on the locations where adults with HF spend their final days.

    Where Adults With Heart Failure Die: Insights From the CDC-WONDER Database · 2025 · DOI

  • Until now, the use of their emotions during palliative care consultations has remained understudied.

    How do palliative care clinicians use their emotions during end-of-life encounters? · 2024 · DOI

  • Although occupational therapists have well-established roles in palliative care teams, little is known about their potential in assisting in the formation and maintenance of compassionate communities.

    Exploring the role of palliative care occupational therapists in supporting compassionate communities in end‐of‐life care · 2024 · DOI

  • This paper aims to address this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences of rural generalist occupational therapists in the provision of palliative care in rural, regional, and remote Australia.

    The experiences of rural generalist occupational therapists in provision of palliative care in rural, regional, and remote Australia: A phenomenological inquiry · 2024 · DOI

  • It is difficult to estimate palliative care needs in this population, and few studies have explored the characteristics or service use patterns of this group.

    How many children have palliative care needs and which of them are less likely to be actively seen by services? A cross-sectional analysis of survey data · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite their significant contributions to palliative home care, caregivers' efforts are often underrecognized and underutilized.

    Experiences, coping and caregiver well-being for caregiving Thai family members with metastatic spinal cancer for palliative home care: A descriptive qualitative study · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of centring on the perspectives of population groups experiencing inequity is a limitation (“Inequity in palliative care and bereavement support: an umbrella review of the…”, 2026); (2) Challenges in end-of-life care practice persist in such settings, and associated factors remain underexplored (“Factors Associated With End‐of‐Life Care Practice in Nonspecialist Palliative…”, 2026); (3) Although previous studies have focused largely on professionals and informal caregivers, patients' own perspectives remain insufficiently understood (“Living the transition: Experiences of patients receiving palliative care from…”, 2026); (4) No studies have explored the appropriateness or timing of discussions of PC and planning for future medical needs at the transplant center with patients for whom transplant is not an option (““Leave a Little Ray of Hope”: Perspectives From Providers, Patients, and…”, 2026); (5) Future research should focus on developing measures of complex need for palliative care for children with life-limiting conditions, as well as inclusive and appropriate interventions to address disparities (“How many children have palliative care needs and which of them are less likely…”, 2026). 816 gap statements have been mined from Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,118 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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