Improving home-based palliative care in India
8th April 2026
People living with advanced cancer often experience a wide range of physical, emotional, and practical challenges, especially when receiving care at home. This study explored whether a Hindi version of a short questionnaire, called the Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS), can help patients clearly share how they are feeling and what support they need.
Researchers worked with people receiving home-based palliative care in India and asked them to complete the questionnaire. The results showed that patients found the questions easy to understand and relevant to their experiences. The tool reliably captured important issues such as pain, discomfort, anxiety, and communication concerns.
By using this Hindi version of IPOS, healthcare teams can better understand patients’ needs, respond more quickly to problems, and improve the quality of care. This research supports the use of patient voices to guide compassionate, person‑centred palliative care in diverse communities.
Bhardwaj T, Chambers RL, Watson H, Rajvanshi A, Sharma R, et al. (2026) Evaluating the measurement properties of the Hindi Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale (IPOS) in advanced cancer patients receiving home-based palliative care in India. PLOS Global Public Health 6(4): e0006189. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0006189