Center to Study "Spiritual Palliation" for AIDS End-of-Life Patients

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, part of the Yale School of Medicine, has been awarded a two-year, nearly $200,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the benefits of a meditation and massage-intervention program for people with AIDS at the end of life. Working in collaboration with Leeway Inc., a skilled AIDS nursing facility in New Haven, Conn., and Ruth McCorkle of the Yale University School of Nursing, the study will determine the effectiveness of meditation and/or massage in improving patients' perceived quality of life.

"In terminal illness, quality of life remains important, as does the quality of peacefulness of the person's death," said principal investigator Dr. David L. Katz, associate clinical professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale School of Medicine and director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center. "This study will be valuable for finding ways to improve quality of life, particularly in the spiritual domain, for patients dying with AIDS," Katz said. In recent years, several major research initiatives have been directed at end-of-life care in an attempt to address issues beyond simple mortality such as quality of life. While valuable information about medical, social and emotional needs of patients was derived from this research, this study is one of the first to focus on spiritual care.

"Meditation and massage interventions make intuitive sense as complementary care at the end of life; however, the scientific evidence of effectiveness has not yet been gathered. We look forward to contributing to this new area of inquiry," Katz said. Martha Dale, director of Leeway Inc., said, "We are delighted to be participating in this study. Its focus is very consistent with the holistic care we provide. We expect the study to enhance the treatment experience of our patients, even as it contributes to the science of effective palliation at end of life."

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