Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42434103›Full record

ArticlePalliative care and social practice2026

Seeing the human behind the sample: How compassion training shaped inner awareness, relationships, and workplace meaning in HIV end-of-life research.

Niamh Higgins, Whitney Tran, Rachel Lau, Joyce Lai, Jeff Taylor, Sara Schairer, Sara Gianella, Ali Ahmed, Karine Dubé

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative care and social practice, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Niamh HigginsSkaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5947-5209
Whitney TranDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Rachel LauDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Joyce LaiDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Jeff TaylorAVRC Community Advisory Board (CAB), UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA.
Sara SchairerCenters for Integrative Health, University of California San Diego Center for Mindfulness.
Sara GianellaAntiViral Research Center (AVRC), UCSD, San Diego, CA, USA.
Ali AhmedDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Karine DubéDivision of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA.

Funding

VirologyP30AI036214 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI SONIA JAIN · 1994 to 2026
$78.4M
Project-004P01AI169609 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI David Mitchell Smith · 2022 to 2026
$10.6M
NIAID NIH HHS P01 AI169609NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI036214
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Professionals engaged in HIV research at the end-of-life face ongoing emotional demands, yet there is limited evidence on whether brief compassion-based interventions can support resilience and team functioning in this context. Objective: To explore how members of the Last Gift team experienced a brief compassion training program and to examine its perceived value and acceptability within an emotionally demanding end-of-life HIV research setting. Methods: We conducted this qualitative study within the Last Gift, a rapid research autopsy program involving people with HIV and life-limiting illness at the University of California San Diego. Following completion of a four-week compassion training program, we held three focus group discussions with interdisciplinary team members (n = 10). We audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed discussions using conventional content analysis. Results: We identified three major themes: (1) intrapersonal growth and improved inner awareness when navigating emotionally intense work; (2) changes in interpersonal relationships with enhanced capacity to extend and receive compassion; and (3) strengthening community and shared purpose in workplace culture. Participants described applying compassion practices both at work and in daily life, contributing to improved interpersonal interactions, reduced emotional reactivity, and greater workplace satisfaction. Conclusions: Brief compassion training programs may offer a feasible and meaningful approach to supporting well-being, emotional resilience, and team cohesion among professionals working in end-of-life HIV research, particularly when embedded within supportive organizational contexts. Further research is needed to examine sustainability and broader implementation in palliative and end-of-life research settings.

Indexed as

burnoutcompassioncompassion trainingempathyend-of-life researchjob satisfactionNon-MeSH headingspalliative careprofessional wellbeingqualitative researchself-compassion

Identifiers

PMID42434103
PMCPMC13351235

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.