Research Group: Palliative Care and End of Life

The Palliative Care and End of Life Group conducts qualitative and quantitative research projects on early palliative care, advanced care planning, community based end of life care, and best care for the dying. The group is based at the University Centre for Palliative Care (PZI) at the Inselspital (Bern University Hospital) and at the ISPM .

Group leader

ISPM group members

PZI group members

  • Affolter Barbara, MD
  • Fliedner Monica, MSN
  • Lehmann Noëmi, MScN
  • Lüthi Nora, MD
  • Zwahlen Susanne, MD

Ongoing projects

A selection of ongoing projects:

  • SENS study: Randomised controlled trial on early palliative care in Cancer patients
  • SENS Economics study: Economical evaluation of SENS intervention
  • Determinants of End of Life discussions in Non-Malignant Illness:  An International, Multicentre, Qualitative Study to Understand the Key Perspectives of Bereaved Families and Medical Specialists
  • Best Care of the Dying Person during the Last Days of Life: A Qualitative Study about Patient-Defined and Proxy-Defined Core Outcomes
  • PROAKTIV trial: A cluster randomised trial of palliative needs assessment and care in general practice
  • Development of an International Core Outcome Set (COS) for Best Care for the Dying Patient
  • Systematic review on outcomes of successful palliative care interventions
  • The needs of family caregivers during the last days of life of a dying family member
  • Potential costs of specialist palliative care mobile teams: baseline data for future development
  • International palliative care measurement consensus study