A guide to evaluation research in terminal care programs

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Abstract
Pressure for greater accountability is being exerted on programs for care of the terminally ill and increasing the demand for evaluation research. Current documentation of such programs is inadequate in that it is anecdotal and consists primarily of conjecture and case studies fraught with unsubstantiated value judgments. Information essential to the improvement of such programs and the determination of their effectiveness can be derived only through the application of strict experimental methodology. The components, implications, and limitations of rigorous evaluation systems are discussed, and their application in the terminal care setting addressed. The Buckingham evaluation of a hospice's home care service is cited as the first attempt at measurement of the overall quality and effectiveness of a hospice program, and as a model for future evaluation of similar hospice programs.

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