The International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University

The International Observatory on End of Life Care aims to conduct high quality, cutting edge research and provide innovative educational programmes to improve palliative and end of life care for patients and family carers.

We undertake excellent patient and carer-focused research, drawing from clinical and social science perspectives to contribute to end of life care knowledge, theory and practice.

Our innovative education prepares and inspires future leaders in palliative care research and practice.

Working closely with local, national and international health and social care communities we create practical and academic impacts from our research and education.

Our research at the International Observatory on End of Life Care focuses on the following areas:

• Care settings: exploring the impact of providing palliative and end of life care in settings such as nursing homes, community settings and prisons.
• Models of palliative and supportive care provision: understanding how best to provide palliative and end of life care by exploring areas such as integrated service models, advance care planning and the use of volunteers.
• Populations receiving palliative and supportive care:  understanding the needs of older people and the ageing agenda, family carers, and those with non – malignant conditions such as dementia or stroke.
• Clinical research: understanding how to improve a range of physical and psychosocial symptoms.
• Research methods: improving how palliative care research is conducted through exploring issues such as study recruitment, evaluating complex interventions and ways of working with vulnerable and dying populations.