This page provides information on current and past research studies undertaken by our Palliative Care Research Network (PCRN) and Early Career Researcher Forum (ECRF) members. If you are a member of our research network or forum and want to share information about your research study, please contact Dr Emer Brangan, Research Impact Project Manager, ebrangan@aiihpc.org
Currently in Ireland there is limited early bereavement support for families and specifically a lack of support for children with palliative care needs to record memories with their families..….
Professor Veronica Lambert (PI), Professor of Children and Family Nursing, Dublin City University • May 2023 – April 2025
In Ireland we don’t know how many children have life-limiting conditions and need palliative care. We have UK-based estimates which are out-of-date and not detailed enough to help plan palliative services..….
Dr Samantha Smith (Trinity College Dublin) & Dr Joanne Balfe (CHI Tallaght & LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hospice) • March 2023 – March 2025
The ability to make decisions for oneself is called decision-making capacity. We consider it a right to make decisions about our own lives.….
Lorna Gurren, School of Psychology, Dublin City University • Sep 2022 – Sep 2026
People with palliative care needs and their carers may be more likely to be unable to afford to heat their homes adequately, for example if their income from work is reduced following a diagnosis.….
Dr Suzanne Denieffe, Head of School of Humanities, School of Humanities, South East Technological University • January – December 2023
Pet robots are a technology-based substitute for pet therapy. Research shows that pet robots demonstrate promise in improving the psychosocial health of older adults, including people living with dementia….
Ms Wei Qi Koh, University College Galway • October 2019 – October 2022
Medical advancements have resulted in increasing survival of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions..….
Prof Veronica Lambert, School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University.
Dr Patricia McNeilly, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast.
• September 2022 – August 2024
An important challenge in palliative care for older adults (≥65 years) with cancer is making sure that they are prescribed the most suitable medicines. Often older adults with cancer have existing comorbidities….
Dr Cathal Cadogan, Trinity College Dublin • September 2018 – June 2021
Older people with life-limiting conditions account for large proportions of healthcare spending in the Republic of Ireland, yet experience unmanaged symptoms, poor quality of life, and fragmented and low-quality care that does not meet their preferences and needs….
Prof Karen Ryan, University College Dublin, St Francis Hospice, Mater Hospital • Mar 2018 – Nov 2021
Death is not just a physiological phenomenon diagnosed by clinicians. It is also a social process, the ways in which individuals and groups interact and establish social relationships interactions, especially when someone slowly approaches death in long-term care….
Adjunct Professor Jari Pirhonen, University of Finland · September 2021 – August 2024
Most of the last year of a person’s life is spent at home with some care being delivered during out of normal working hour’s periods such as, evenings, night time and weekends. Out of hours palliative care in the home can be delivered by health care professionals including doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants….
Dr Felicity Hasson, Ulster University · March 2020 – July 2022
In Ireland, the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic came in March 2020. At this time nursing homes were forced to rapidly implement new protocols set out by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to prevent the potential spread of infection and safeguard nursing home residents, their families, and staff. Such protocols included restricted family visiting….
AIIHPC and Dr John Lombard and Dr Owen Doody, University of Limerick · October 2020 – January 2022
Advance care planning helps to ensure the medical care delivered is consistent to the person’s wishes/values and preferences, reduces decision-making burden, and helps families prepare for and cope with bereavement. However, advance care planning research has continually….
Prof Sonja McIlfatrick, Ulster University · June 2018 – March 2021
Sláintecare, is the Republic of Ireland’s national ten-year programme to transform existing health and social care services to a universal single-tier health and social care system where everyone has equitable access to services based on need and not ability to pay. A key recommendation is universal entitlement to a health benefits package, including palliative care….
Dr Bridget Johnston, Trinity College Dublin · January 2021 – January 2024
Improving the use of medicines is an important element of providing high-quality care for older people and improving their quality of life, especially at the end of life, when older people are often prescribed increasing numbers of medicines. These may include medicines that are unnecessary….
Dr Carole Parsons, Queen’s University Belfast · March 2021 – June 2021
Constipation is a widespread symptom, and significant concern, for people receiving palliative care. It contributes to considerable physical and psychological suffering for both people with a life-limiting condition and their families. Constipation can be difficult to define….
Prof Sonja McIlfatrick, Ulster University · September 2016 – September 2019
Understanding the human rights challenges associated with palliative care is important for healthcare professionals so that a person’s rights to health and autonomy are realised in practice. Care at end-of-life is a personal experience and autonomy is essential in delivering care….
AIIHPC, Sue Ryder UK, Irish Hospice Foundation, University of Limerick · September 2019 – December 2020
Rehabilitative Palliative Care optimises wellbeing and enables people to live as independently as possible despite advancing illness. It empowers people to adapt with dignity by providing a support system to help patients cope with changes associated with deteriorating health….
Prof Karen Ryan, University College Dublin, St Francis Hospice, Mater Hospital · March 2020 – April 2021
We currently know little about the end-of-life phase in Ireland: where people die, what health care they use, how family and friends provide unpaid care, and how palliative care shapes these experiences. This project aims to improve knowledge and understanding of these questions….
Dr Peter May, Trinity College Dublin · March 2020 – February 2022
Funded through the Erasmus+ “Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices” action, the EDUPALL project aims to produce a complete programme for undergraduate medical student education in Palliative Care….
Assoc. Prof Dr. Daniela Mosoiu, University of Brasov · Sep 2017 – Aug 2020
When a person with dementia that is living in a nursing home loses the capacity to make a decision for him/ herself, nursing home staff must deliver care that is in the person’s best interest….
Prof Kevin Brazil, Queen’s University Belfast · April 2019 – April 2023
Cancer which has spread to the bone, causing bone metastases (bone tumours) can weaken bone health and increase risk of fractures (breaks). Consequently, people with bone metastases can be unsure whether to exercise and health professionals can be unsure what exercise advice….
Dr Emer Guinan, Trinity College Dublin · February 2019 – July 2022
It is estimated that over one quarter of the population in Ireland will experience mental health problems in their life time. While the general populations’ life expectancy is increasing, for people who have experienced serious mental illness life expectancy is decreasing by up to 30 years….
Prof Ann Sheridan, University College Dublin · Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
Advances in public health and social care have enabled people with an intellectual disability to live longer than ever before providing new challenges in understanding not only how people are living with illness but also how they are dying….
Prof Mary McCarron, Trinity College Dublin · Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
People are living longer, which means that more of us will get age-related illnesses such as dementia. Dementia is caused by different diseases of the brain. Although Dementia usually affects people as they get older, it’s not a normal part of ageing. Many people don’t realise that Dementia is a terminal illness….
Prof Suzanne Timmons and Dr Siobhán Fox, University College Cork · 2017 – Oct 2022
It is estimated that over one quarter of the population in Ireland will experience mental health problems in their life time. While the general populations’ life expectancy is increasing, for people who have experienced serious mental illness life expectancy is decreasing by up to 30 years….
Prof Ann Sheridan, University College Dublin · Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
Advances in public health and social care have enabled people with an intellectual disability to live longer than ever before providing new challenges in understanding not only how people are living with illness but also how they are dying….
Prof Mary McCarron, Trinity College Dublin · Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
Heart failure is reaching epidemic proportions in Ireland and throughout the developed world. HF is the inability of the heart to eject blood around the body sufficiently and is considered as having the greatest negative impact on quality of life….
Prof Sonja McIlfatrick, Ulster University · Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
Up to 80% of people with a diagnosis of advanced cancer suffer from a dramatic loss of fat and muscle tissue. This devastating wasting syndrome or cachexia affects people biologically, psychologically and socially and has a profound impact on their family carers….
Prof Joanne Reid, Queen’s University Belfast · Oct 2013 – Oct 2016
Policy requires practice to be based upon evidence. Despite increasing levels of research being gathered in health settings there are several challenges to the implementation of evidence into practice which is required to influence change ….
Prof Suzanne Guerin, University College Dublin, Prof George Kernohan, Ulster University · Nov 2013 – Jul 2017
Depression is very common among people in advanced stages of a life-limiting condition. Approximately one in six of those receiving palliative care have major depression. Unfortunately, depression often goes undiagnosed or untreated. Many life-limiting diseases share symptoms….
Prof David Meagher, University of Limerick ·Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
The aim of palliative care is to enable every person with an illness from which he/she will not be cured, to live as well as possible right up until he/she dies. If it is generally accepted that all people should have access to high quality end-of-life care, then it is important to ensure that resources are focussed towards those elements….
Dr Bridget Johnston, Trinity College Dublin · Mar 2014 – Mar 2017
In 2012 AIIHPC established the Palliative Care Research Network (PCRN) to address need for more collaborative multidisciplinary research in palliative care on the island of Ireland. The purpose of the KINDLE project was to identify cross-cutting messages for palliative care and research within PCRN research outputs….
Prof Suzanne Guerin, University College Dublin, and Dr Tara Murphy, AIIHPC ·Dec 2015 – May 2017
Policy requires practice to be based upon evidence. Despite increasing levels of research being gathered in health settings there are several challenges to the implementation of evidence into practice which is required to influence change ….
Prof Suzanne Guerin, University College Dublin, Prof George Kernohan, Ulster University · Nov 2013 – Jul 2017
Depression is very common among people in advanced stages of a life-limiting condition. Approximately one in six of those receiving palliative care have major depression. Unfortunately, depression often goes undiagnosed or untreated. Many life-limiting diseases share symptoms….
Prof David Meagher, University of Limerick ·Oct 2013 – Oct 2017
Dr Helen Kerr, Queen’s University Belfast · Jan 2013 – Dec 2015
Prof Suzanne Timmons and Dr Siobhan Fox, University College Core ·Oct 2017 – Dec 2021
