Palliative Care Research in Heart Failure: A Bibliometric Review

Abstract

Background and Objectives:

Heart failure (HF) is a significant public health challenge, particularly for patients with advanced HF who endure severe symptom burdens and high mortality. Palliative care is designed to alleviate multidimensional suffering and improve quality of life. However, integration into routine clinical practice for HF remains limited. Furthermore, there is a lack of bibliometric research mapping the knowledge structure and scholarly networks within this field. Therefore, this bibliometric review aims to analyze the current research status, collaboration patterns, hotspots, and evolutionary trends in palliative care for HF.

Methods:

We retrieved English-language articles and reviews published between 2000 and 2025 from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. A total of 1619 publications were identified for final analysis following computational deduplication and manual screening. Bibliometric analysis and visualization were conducted using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, SCImago Graphica, and the bibliometrix package in R.

Results:

Annual publication volume has grown steadily, reaching approximately 160 publications per year recently. The collaboration network indicates that research partnerships are predominantly regionally concentrated, with the United States acting as a central hub. The keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four primary thematic areas: End-of-Life Care and Patient Experience, Geriatric Care and Chronic Disease Management, Clinical Interventions and Guidelines, and Advanced Therapeutics. Temporal analyses suggest a gradual broadening of scholarly interest. Early studies frequently discussed survival and basic disease management, whereas recent literature increasingly explores complex care coordination and prognostic tools for vulnerable populations, as reflected in emerging keywords such as “frailty” and “surprise question.”

Conclusion:

Bibliometric indicators show that academic interest in HF palliative care has increased steadily. Scholarly discourse has gradually expanded to encompass holistic symptom control, multimorbidity, and the ethical complexities of advanced therapeutics. Future research may benefit from leveraging implementation science to help bridge the gap between academic concepts and equitable clinical integration.