Are you someone who want to see change happen, but aren’t sure what tools you need? Do you spot problems with care or care provision, but don’t know what to do to help others both see the problem, or help create a workable solution?
Many of us have been in similar situations but feel disempowered to do anything meaningful to help create change. It may be that some of the tools you need to help create change are found in the research toolkit.
What is the research toolkit?
Well, first and foremost it is a way of seeing and questioning. It’s about not only having an enquiring mind but knowing that you may need certain forms of data and evidence to help shift thinking about the problem that confronts people.
Second, it is knowing that following a clear research process (from problem to research question to design and beyond) will help create robust findings that people will have confidence in, to help plan change solutions.
Third, it is about bringing logical thinking to bear, following relevant threads of information and evidence to weave together into actionable recommendations.
How do you obtain this research toolkit?
Well, it always comes as a surprise to people when I say that the ‘basic’ training to do this is a PhD. Given that a PhD is the highest degree available, it seems odd to say that this is ‘basic’. However, it is fundamentally typically the most comprehensive and wide-ranging research education available, equipping people to understand as much about what they don’t know (yet) as much as what they do (and how to find out what they don’t know!).
In our well-established online, international, PhD in Palliative Care programme here at Lancaster University, we can see the change happening in our students as they engage in their learning journey, both within and beyond their PhD project. We can see them being voices for change in many of the challenges that have been identified, and where research data and its interpretation can play a part in enabling change.
Let’s look at the experience of our current students and alumni, that might inspire you.
First, Claude Chidiac used some of the research skills gained through his current PhD studies to collect, organise and interpret service data at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This work is now published1
He recounts: “The International Observatory on End of Life Care (IOELC) is an ideal place to do a PhD because of its world-class professors in palliative care, and its extensive connections globally.
This international exposure has made it much easier for me to harness the research skills obtained throughout my PhD studies and apply them in my PhD research.
Having studied in five different universities across four different countries, I find IOELC special because of the mentorship and support provided by faculty members. I have been privileged to have wonderful supervisors who care about me and my research, which for me as a student, is equally important to having experienced supervisors.
What really stood out for me is that the mentorship and support have gone beyond my PhD research, which I believe will be crucial in preparing me to advance my research career post PhD. This has led me to use my research skills in my job as a Nurse Consultant and publish several papers in peer-reviewed journals, independent of my PhD research, with the support of my supervisors.” (Claude Chidiac, Nurse Consultant Palliative Care and Clinical Lead for End-of-Life Care at NHS).
Second, Dr Naveen Salins has continued to collaborate with staff at the International Observatory on End of Life Care since the award of his PhD in 2021.
“After graduating from Lancaster University with a PhD in palliative care, I collaborated with the IOELC on a theory of change (TOC) project involving ICU physicians as stakeholders.
Together, we conducted TOC workshops and developed a causal map to achieve exceptional end-of-life care in the ICUs. Our work was published in the Journal of Critical Care2, a high-impact journal in the ICU speciality.
This collaboration significantly impacted my hospital, leading to improved and early palliative care, a reduction in the average length of ICU stay from 15 to 9 days, and more cost-effective treatment. Furthermore, it sparked interest among ICU physicians in researching end-of-life care.
It served as a supporting document for legal deliberations at the Supreme Court in India, ultimately influencing a favourable verdict in 2023. Additionally, our collaborative work informed the 2024 position statement on palliative care in the ICU.” (Dr. Naveen Salins, Professor & Head of the Dept, Department of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India).
If you want to learn more about studying for a PhD with Lancaster University, you can follow the link here https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-courses/palliative-care-phd/2024/
Our part-time PhD in Palliative Care takes around 4-7 years depending on the time you have available and is primarily studied online, allowing students to continue working in their home countries. This flexible programme is designed to suit working professionals.
Lancaster University’s Palliative Care PhD offers a unique blended learning approach, combining online modules with independent research.
Engage with world-leading researchers at the International Observatory on End of Life Care and enhance your research skills. Benefit from face-to-face interactions during the annual Induction Academies and flexible part-time study. As the demand for quality palliative care grows, contribute to impactful research that improves the quality of life for those with palliative care needs.
If you are passionate about driving change in end-of-life care and want to equip yourself with the tools to make a real impact, consider pursuing a PhD in Palliative Care at Lancaster University.
This programme offers comprehensive research training that will empower you to become a change agent, improving the quality of life for those with palliative care needs worldwide. For more information, email our admission tutor, Dr Yakubu Salifu, at y.salifu@lancaster.ac.uk.
Other contact information social media
- International Observatory on End of Life Care (IOELC) website: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/health-and-medicine/research/ioelc/
- IOELC Twitter (X): @IOELC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-observatory-on-end-of-life-care/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LU.IOELC
References
1Chidiac C, Feuer D, Flatley M, Rodgerson A, Grayson K, Preston N. The need for early referral to palliative care especially for Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in a COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a service evaluation. Palliative Medicine. 2020;34(9):1241-1248. doi:10.1177/0269216320946688 Rao, S. R., Salins, N., Remawi, B. N., Rao, S., Shanbaug, V.,
2Arjun, N. R., … & Preston, N. (2023). Stakeholder engagement as a strategy to enhance palliative care involvement in intensive care units: A theory of change approach. Journal of Critical Care, 75, 154244.
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