Research

 

Staff at Milford Care Centre are engaged in many varied research and evaluation activities both as part of their ongoing professional development and also as part of continued quality improvement within the organisation. 

The following are some examples of research projects which have been undertaken recently in Milford Care Centre or are in progress.

Medicine 

• Experience for relatives of the moment of death in hospital; Dr. J. Battley, Dr. S. Donnelly. Presented: IAPC Galway, 7th February 2008; Grand Rounds, Mid Western Regional Hospital 23rd May 2008; Kaleidoscope Conference, Dublin, 7th June 2008; 17th International Palliative Care Conference, Montreal 23rd to 26th September 2008

 

• Fluency in Irish: Responding to Palliative Care needs of patients in Gaeltacht areas. Survey: Dr.Maire NiConghaile and Dr. S. Donnelly.

  

• Implantable Defibrillators: challenges for Palliative Medicine Physician; Survey: Dr. Mousab and Dr. M. Conroy

 

• Documentary "Going Home" produced in Limerick based on qualitative research undertaken on the moment of death at home. Dr. S. Donnelly

 

• Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale: Responses from nursing and medical staff to its implementation. Dr. M. Lucey and Dr. M. Conroy

 

• Audit: Monday Morning Multi-disciplinary team meeting - how useful is it? Dr. F. Cranfield and Dr. M. Conroy

 

• The Use of Opioids Other Than Morphine as First Line to Treat Cancer Pain - Dr Mags Clifford.  This is a cross-sectional study examining how commonly Opioids other than morphine are used as first line treatment for cancer pain and the rationale for doing this (the WHO and EAPC recommend morphine but physicians commonly do not follow the guidelines).  Poster presentation at IAPC Research seminar Feb 4th 2010 and submitted for EAPC research congress May 2010 

 

• An Audit of Inpatient Steroid Use in a Hospice Setting - Dr Haji Mohammad, Dr Shazrul Ramly; Oral presentation at IAPC Research Seminar Feb 4th 2010

 

• The Deactivation of Implantable Cardiovertor Defibrillators in the Setting of Palliative Medicine - Dr Musaab Elmamoun; Oral presentation at IAPC Research Seminar Feb 2009.

 

• Use of Ketamine in Palliative Care - Dr Maura Grummell. This project is currently ongoing.    

  
Nursing

 

• A Descriptive Survey to Assess the Palliative Care Knowledge of Generalist Public Health Nurses in the Mid Western Region of Ireland - Hillary Smyth, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Milford Care Centre; Oral Presentation at IAPC Research Seminar Feb 2009 

 

• Patient Stories – A Quality Initiative: Using patient stories to inform continuous quality improvement. Sue Moran, CNM 2, Nursing Department, Specialist Palliative Care In-patient Unit, Milford Care Centre. 

 

• Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurses' views on caring for children with palliative care needs; Claire Quinn, CNS, Milford Care Centre

 

• Wound Care Practices and Procedures in a Health Care Facility: A Comparative Study. Breda Trimble, Practice Development. Milford Care Centre.

 

• Staff Nurses' Experience of Providing Palliative Care for Elderly Patients in Hospital. Breda Trimble, Practice Development. Milford Care Centre.

 

• Comparison of two holistic dependency systems for Clinical Nurse Specialists working in Specialist Palliative Care.  Edith McMahon, CNM and Sue Moran, CNM.

 

AHP

 

• Use of Lignocaine 5% Patches for Neuropathic Pain - Marie Wright, Pharmacist, 2008.
  Part of Masters in Clinical Pharmacology, UCC

 

• Evaluation of Team Work in a Community Specialist Palliative Care Team. Shirley Real, Physiotherapy Manager, MCC. Part of MA in Healthcare Management.

 

• "Life is changed not ended" A Theological, Philosophical & Medical Doctoral Research Chronicle of Serious Illness, Dying and Death. Frank Murphy, Pastoral Care. Doctoral Thesis.

 

• Evaluation of the Children’s Bereavement Service; Social Work and Education.

 

• A 6 month retrospective audit to evaluate aspects of physiotherapy interventions in in-patient specialist palliative care. Sinead Cobbe, Senior Physiotherapist.

 

Multidisciplinary

 

• Evaluation of Milford Care Centre’s Hospice at Home Service; an independent evaluation of Specialist Palliative Care delivery in the community being undertaken by the University of Limerick

 

• Evaluation of care received in the Specialist Palliative Care In-patient Unit, Milford Care Centre; Palliative Care Self Assessment Team.

 

• Audit of Medication Prescribing and Administration - Department of Palliative Medicine along with Quality and Safety Coordinator, Milford Care Centre  

 

• Audit of Medical Notes Documentation - Department of Palliative Medicine along with Quality and Safety Coordinator, Milford Care Centre 

 

• Multidisciplinary patient assessment in specialist palliative care: Continuously improving quality. Palliative Care Self Assessment Team.

 

• A Retrospective Audit of Formal Family Meetings in a Specialist Palliative Care Inpatient Unit: Palliative Care Self Assessment Team.

 

• Bibliotherapy in Bereavement and Staff Support: A Pilot Programme. Library and Social Work.

 

• Tackling barriers to palliative care: a health promoting approach. Kathy McLoughlin, Head of Education and Research.

 

• Advanced Communications Skills for Senior Health Care Professionals; an evaluation of a 3 day evidenced based programme. Kathy McLoughlin, Head of Education and Research.