The Department of Palliative Care Research performs research aiming at gaining knowledge of clinical relevance to the context of palliative care. A central standpoint for all research in the department is the patient perspective and patient centered care. Studies are performed about how severe illness, aging and death influence the everyday life of the ill person and his or her relatives/family, and about their need for support and care. All research projects are concerned with concepts that are central to the field of caring science as well as to clinical care, e.g. dignity, identity/self-image, dependency and autonomy/participation. The research also includes end of life care for persons who for some reason have lost their ability to communicate needs and wishes. One such example is dementia disease.

The Department of Palliative Care Research is funded mainly by a donation from The Erling Persson foundation. The department works close together with the Department of palliative care at Ersta Hospital, Stockholm, and collaborates with several academic institutions in Sweden and Norway, e.g. Research and Development Department, Stockholms Sjukhem Foundation, Stockholm, Karolinska Institutet, Umeå university, Örebro University, Linnéuniversity, Gjövik University College and Stord Haugesund University College.