Project Area: Health policy and systems research
Project Summary
Many people live with serious, long-term illnesses like heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These conditions are life-limiting and cause significant physical and emotional challenges, such as breathlessness, pain, and depression. Despite this, many of these patients do not receive timely or adequate palliative care—specialized support aimed at improving quality of life. This gap often occurs because these illnesses follow unpredictable patterns, making it harder to recognize when palliative care is needed.
This project focuses on improving primary palliative care for these patients, specifically in general practice settings where General Practitioners (GPs) provide much of their care. The aim of this research is to explore how palliative care is currently delivered to people with these conditions and to identify opportunities to enhance this care.
The research has four key objectives:
- Understanding experiences: Learning from patients, carers, healthcare providers, and policymakers about their experiences with palliative care for these conditions in General Practice.
• This objective will be achieved by conducting a qualitative stakeholder analysis. - Identifying tools: Finding existing tools that help GPs identify the palliative care needs of patients with life-limiting chronic illnesses.
• This objective will be achieved by conducting a systematic review. - Exploring practices in Europe and Ireland: Investigating how GPs across Ireland and Europe identify and address palliative care needs for patients with long-term illnesses.
• This objective will be achieved by conducting a cross-sectional study with GPs in Europe and Ireland to assess how GPs identify palliative care needs in chronic illnesses. - Exploring how palliative care for patients with chronic illnesses is currently managed in the HSE Chronic Disease Management (CDM) programme in General Practice in Ireland.
• This objective will be achieved through a retrospective cohort study of GP Practice data using an established research network of GP Practices.
This research project will involve patients and carers throughout the research process to ensure their voices shape the work.
The project’s findings will help improve how GPs identify and manage palliative care needs, potentially informing changes to healthcare policies and programmes like the HSE CDM Programme. Ultimately, this research aims to ensure that more people with life-limiting conditions receive the care they need to live well, even as their illness progresses.
Skills Required
(If applying for this project you will be asked to outline how you meet the skills required below)
Essential skills
- Third Level Qualification (or equivalent) in a health or social science discipline
- Strong team working skills as well as ability to work on own initiative
- Strong administrative, organisational and time management skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills
Desirable Skills
- Ability to work collaboratively, including the capacity to engage with diverse stakeholders
- Experience conducting health related research
- Experience in qualitative and/or quantitative methods
- The ability to work with interdisciplinary team members and engage with international research networks
Supervisory team:
Dr Aisling Jennings, PI/Primary Supervisor
Senior Lecturer in the Dept of General Practice in University College Cork (UCC) and GP in Cork.
Professor Emma Wallace, Professor of General Practice in UCC and GP.
Professor Karen Ryan. Clinical Professor in University College Dublin and Consultant in Palliative Medicine.
Professor Ali Khashan. Professor in Epidemiology in the School of Public Health, UCC
This project will be based in UCC.
