Gudrun Kreye

Gudrun Kreye is a Senior Physician and Private Lecturer (Privatdozent) at the Clinical Department of Internal Medicine 2 at University Hospital Krems, affiliated with the Karl Landsteiner Private University of Health Sciences. She serves as head of the palliative care unit and leads multiple research initiatives focused on improving end-of-life care, symptom management, and palliative integration in oncology. Kreye is actively involved in national and international palliative care societies, having chaired the 'Research in Palliative Care' working group of the Austrian Palliative Care Society and served as deputy head of the ESMO Designated Centers Working Group (2018–2022).

Her research interests include:

• Palliative and end-of-life care
• Symptomatic treatment in advanced cancer
• Integration of palliative care in oncology
• Assisted suicide and palliative sedation
• Health services research and cost analysis
• Ethical and clinical decision-making at end of life

Her recent publications reflect a strong focus on real-world evidence, treatment patterns near end of life, and patient-centered outcomes. Trends in her research show a consistent emphasis on optimizing care delivery, reducing overtreatment, and enhancing quality of life through multidisciplinary palliative approaches. Her work frequently involves retrospective analyses, cohort studies, and collaborative clinical research.

Scientific contributions and recognition include:

• Principal Investigator in multiple research projects funded by Forschungsimpulse
• Extensive publication record in peer-reviewed journals such as ESMO Open, JCO Global Oncology, and Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift
• Active collaboration with oncologists, radiotherapists, nurses, and ethicists
• Frequent media and academic attention, including mentions in news outlets and social media

Kreye mentors medical students in their thesis work and promotes palliative care education. She has led and participated in research projects evaluating:

• Palliative care integration in advanced lung cancer
• Systemic anticancer therapy near end of life
• Costs and prevalence of end-of-life treatments
• Use of palliative radiotherapy

She is also involved in developing and validating tools for assessing patient needs and wellbeing in palliative settings, such as the P-CaRES and ICECAP-SCM instruments.