Abstract
Objectives: Research is a fundamental element in the sustainable development of hospice and palliative care. Mainland China is facing increasing demand for hospice and palliative care and has launched related policies over the past decade. However, the state of research and publications in this field in China remains largely unknown. This study aimed to provide an overall picture of hospice-and palliative care -related research and publications in Mainland China of the last decade.Methods: We searched Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, OVID, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for hospice-and palliative care -related publications in English and Chinese for 2010–2019. We analyzed the production, citations and impacts, publishing journals, region and institution of origin, publication types and topics.Results: A total of 3224 publications were identified, and 636 of them were published in high-quality journals. The production and impacts showed a clear increase—especially after 2016. However, there is no specialized journal of hospice and palliative care in Mainland China. The publications scattered among various journals. The regional disparity between East and Western China in production was conspicuous and closely linked to economic factors. The most prosperous cities in Mainland China, Beijing and Shanghai, were the most productive regions. The hospice providers in the first five pilot regions had no collaboration with leading universities in their publications. Hospice and palliative care for cancer patients was the most common publication topic; some essential topics were rarely explored.Conclusions: Research and publications about hospice and palliative care in Mainland China is developing faster than before; however, it remains at an early stage and should be promoted in terms of interregional equity. Collaboration among different disciplines, institutes, and regions should be encouraged.