Needs assessment and policy
Print versionNeeds assessments in palliative care: producing global guidance
Sam Hart, Richard Harding, Jonathan Koffman, Irene Higginson
We have been commissioned to produce guidance on conducting “needs assessments” in palliative care and we are calling on the expertise of colleagues and researchers worldwide to achieve this.
"Needs assessments" work can occur under a range of titles:
We would like you to provide us with, or let us know about, any palliative care needs assessments (or relevant work under other titles) that have been conducted or are currently under way. This is a global project so we are very keen to include and represent the work of as many people as possible.
We have been commissioned to produce guidance on conducting “needs assessments” in palliative care and we are calling on the expertise of colleagues and researchers worldwide to achieve this.
"Needs assessments" work can occur under a range of titles:
- "rapid assessments"
- "rapid appraisals"
- "national palliative care development plans"
- "palliative care implementation documents"
- "country reports"...
We would like you to provide us with, or let us know about, any palliative care needs assessments (or relevant work under other titles) that have been conducted or are currently under way. This is a global project so we are very keen to include and represent the work of as many people as possible.
How to contribute
We would be extremely grateful if you would send any reports to date, and/or any useful contacts, directly to Sam Hart:
Sam Hart, Research Associate
Dept. Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London
Weston Education Centre
Cutcombe Road
Denmark Hill
London, SE5 9RJ
Email: sam.hart@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 78 48 56 27
Fax: +44 (0) 20 78 48 55 17
In return for your assistance we will ensure that you receive a priority copy of our report, and that you are fully acknowledged for your involvement. The report will give a simple guide to those involved in conducting needs assessments (or similar) in palliative care.
The sooner you can send us material, the better. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Sam.
Sam Hart, Research Associate
Dept. Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College London
Weston Education Centre
Cutcombe Road
Denmark Hill
London, SE5 9RJ
Email: sam.hart@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 78 48 56 27
Fax: +44 (0) 20 78 48 55 17
In return for your assistance we will ensure that you receive a priority copy of our report, and that you are fully acknowledged for your involvement. The report will give a simple guide to those involved in conducting needs assessments (or similar) in palliative care.
The sooner you can send us material, the better. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Sam.
Further information
- What do we mean by “needs assessment”?
Health care needs assessment provides information to plan and/or change services for the better. The assessment can use a range of activities, which should have an impact on health either by services themselves or for advocates and policy makers.
We are interested in all types of needs assessment, including work that has occurred or is occurring under titles such as "rapid assessments", "rapid appraisals", "national palliative care development plans", "palliative care implementation documents", "country reports", or other.
- I think my work, or my colleagues’ work, might be relevant but I’m not sure?
Please get in touch anyway. We would like you to send us any work, or provide us with contacts for colleagues, that you think might be relevant.
- I have done a needs assessment (or similar), for example in HIV care or cancer care (or other), that is only partly about palliative care?
Again, please get in touch anyway. We want to include as much work in the field as possible.
- What exactly is the project about?
During recent years, an increasing number of needs assessments have been produced in order to lobby policy makers, advocate within health care systems and plan within services for adequate palliative care provision. A number of charities, funders and providers from within the global palliative care movement have been looking at the potential to work more closely together on the use of such needs assessments.
This project offers an opportunity to capture the lessons and experiences from regions around the world. Whilst we will co-ordinate global research, we also wish to take account of the regional differences and challenges in assessing need, to ensure that recommendations are made that are feasible and appropriate in diverse regions.
Some simple guidance on undertaking, writing, and utilising needs assessments should help palliative care needs assessments to proceed with the best quality evidence, which will offer the greatest possible impact at policy and funder levels.
The result of the project will be a simple report to help guide those involved in conducting needs assessments in palliative care. You will receive a priority copy of this report in return for your help in collecting the information we need.
- I am worried that my work will be criticised and / or my project is still in progress?
This is not a problem and please do not be put off sending us work because of this. We intend the exercise to highlight areas of good practice, and not to be unduly critical of efforts to date.
- I think I can contribute something but I would like to discuss it further?
Please feel free to contact Sam Hart by email, by telephone or in writing.
Health care needs assessment provides information to plan and/or change services for the better. The assessment can use a range of activities, which should have an impact on health either by services themselves or for advocates and policy makers.
We are interested in all types of needs assessment, including work that has occurred or is occurring under titles such as "rapid assessments", "rapid appraisals", "national palliative care development plans", "palliative care implementation documents", "country reports", or other.
- I think my work, or my colleagues’ work, might be relevant but I’m not sure?
Please get in touch anyway. We would like you to send us any work, or provide us with contacts for colleagues, that you think might be relevant.
- I have done a needs assessment (or similar), for example in HIV care or cancer care (or other), that is only partly about palliative care?
Again, please get in touch anyway. We want to include as much work in the field as possible.
- What exactly is the project about?
During recent years, an increasing number of needs assessments have been produced in order to lobby policy makers, advocate within health care systems and plan within services for adequate palliative care provision. A number of charities, funders and providers from within the global palliative care movement have been looking at the potential to work more closely together on the use of such needs assessments.
This project offers an opportunity to capture the lessons and experiences from regions around the world. Whilst we will co-ordinate global research, we also wish to take account of the regional differences and challenges in assessing need, to ensure that recommendations are made that are feasible and appropriate in diverse regions.
Some simple guidance on undertaking, writing, and utilising needs assessments should help palliative care needs assessments to proceed with the best quality evidence, which will offer the greatest possible impact at policy and funder levels.
The result of the project will be a simple report to help guide those involved in conducting needs assessments in palliative care. You will receive a priority copy of this report in return for your help in collecting the information we need.
- I am worried that my work will be criticised and / or my project is still in progress?
This is not a problem and please do not be put off sending us work because of this. We intend the exercise to highlight areas of good practice, and not to be unduly critical of efforts to date.
- I think I can contribute something but I would like to discuss it further?
Please feel free to contact Sam Hart by email, by telephone or in writing.
