Quality of Care for Patients with Advanced Illness in Asia-Pacific (QCPAI-APAC)

This multi-country study aims to develop a preference-based scoring algorithm for the QCPAI across 16 Asia-Pacific countries and territories (see Any Other Information below). Using cross-sectional surveys and stated-preference methods, the study derives utility weights reflecting the relative importance of care domains from bereaved caregiver perspectives. The resulting scoring system enables the generation of a summary quality-of-care score (0–100) for benchmarking and comparison across settings. Early findings highlight gaps in affordability and access alongside the importance of appropriate, goal-concordant care.

Principal Investigator

Professor Eric A. Finkelstein
Health Services Research & Population Health; Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Duke-NUS Medical School

Study Team

• Dr. Mihir Gandhi, Assistant Professor, LCPC
• Dr. Chay Junxing, Assistant Professor, LCPC
• Dr. Felicia Ang Jia Ler, Research Fellow, LCPC
• Dr. Juan Marcos Gonzalez Sepulveda, Associate Professor
• Dr. Grace Meijuan Yang, Associate Professor
• Mr. Barkat Sikder, Research Assistant

• Dr. Rubayat Rahman, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University,

• Professor Ning Xiao Hong, Peking University

• Professor Amy Chow, The University of Hong Kong
• Assistant Professor Janice Yanjuan Li, The University of Hong Kong
• Assistant Professor Eddie S. K. Chong, The University of Hong Kong

• Dr. Naveen Salins, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
• Dr. Arunangshu Ghoshal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education

• Dr. Rudi Putranto,University of Indonesia

• Dr. Masanori Mori, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital
• Dr. Mitsunori Miyashita, R.N., Ph.D, Tokohu University

• Dr. Suh Sang Yeon (Lisa), Dongguk University

• Dr. Choo Yoke Ling (Sharon), Fazlina, Sarawak General Hospital

• Professor Sharlene Shao-Yi Cheng, National Taiwan University

• Dr. Raksasataya Attakorn, Khon Kaen University

• Dr. Pham Nguyen Tuong, Vin University

• Dr. Agnes Bausa, University of the Philippines
• Dr. Liza Manalo, The Medical City

• Dr. Ghauri Aggarwal, Sydney Local Health Service

Publications

• Ang, F.J.L., M. Gandhi, J. Chay, B. Sikder, G.M. Yang, J.M.G. Sepulveda, et al., A Preference-Weighted Scoring Algorithm for Assessing Quality of Care for Patients With Advanced Illness in Singapore: Bereaved Caregiver Perspectives. Value in Health Regional Issues. DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2026.101620.

Other publications forthcoming.

Presentations

• 16th Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference 2025, Plenary, April 2025
• Jockey Club End-of-Life Community Care Project (JCECC) International Conference 2025, Keynote, October 2025
• 9th Singapore Palliative Care Conference 2026, April 2026

Other Information

QCPAI-APAC sites (n = 16) include Singapore, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand.

QCPAI-Bereaved Caregiver is available in the following languages:

• English
• Bengali
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
• Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong)
• Hindi
• Bahasa Indonesia
• Japanese
• Korean
• Bahasa Melayu
• Sinhala
• Thai
• Vietnamese

Part of a broader agenda to develop scalable, preference-based quality metrics for serious illness care across diverse health systems.

Contact Person

Dr. Felicia Ang Jia Ler, Research Fellow
Email: felicia.ang@duke-nus.edu.sg