Preferences for care in advanced illness: new evidence from two studies in Asia
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Evidence on preferences for care in advanced illness in Asia remains limited, despite rapid ageing, cultural diversity, and constrained palliative care capacity. This session will feature two presentations that explore patient and family priorities, with a view to informing person‑centered care and economic evaluation in this field.
Prof Eric Finkelstein (Duke-Singapore) will present on QCPAI (Quality of Care for Patients with Advanced Illness) – A Preference-Based Instrument to measure quality of care for patients with advanced illness in Asia Pac. [10.1016/j.vhri.2026.101620; 10.1016/j.jval.2025.05.006].
Dr Tara Devi Laabar (University of Western Australia) will present on a discrete choice experiment on Bhutanese patients and family members to explore preferences for palliative care [10.1177/26323524251334183].
Speakers:
Professor Eric Finkelstein, PhD, MHA
Dr. Finkelstein is Professor of Economics at the Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore and the Executive Director of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care. His research focuses on the economic causes and consequences of health behaviors. A major focus are studies to better understand the complicated decisions that revolve around end-of-life care. He has published over 300 manuscripts and 2 books in these areas. Based on google scholar, he has an h-index of 83 and his publications have been cited over 125,000 times, including in the landmark Supreme Court decision upholding the U.S. Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). He was included in the list of the World’s Most Highly Cited Researchers in 2015, 2016 and 2017 by Thomson Reuters and Clarivate Analytics and among the Top 2% of scientists worldwide in a study by Stanford University in 2021 and 2025.
Tara Dev Laabar PhD, MPH, BN, Dip GMÂ
Tara was a nurse educator in Bhutan. In 2015, Tara was introduced to palliative care, a field that was then relatively new in Bhutan. Her growing interest led her to undertake a six-week hands-on training program in palliative care at Pallium India, Kerala, in 2016. This experience inspired her to dedicate her career to the study, practice, and teaching of palliative care.
In 2018, Tara moved to Australia to pursue a PhD in Palliative Care at the University of Western Australia. Her PhD research focused on developing a socially, culturally, and spiritually appropriate model of palliative care for Bhutan. On completion of her studies, she returned to Bhutan, where she contributed to palliative care advocacy, education, and capacity building.
In 2024, due to family commitments, Tara relocated to Perth, Australia, where she currently works as a Registered Nurse in residential aged care. She remains actively engaged in palliative care education, particularly through virtual training and mentorship initiatives for healthcare professionals in LMICs.
Tara has authored and co-authored around 15 peer-reviewed publications and continues to promote equitable access to palliative care through research, education, and international collaboration.