End of Life Care for People with Dementia in Hospitals
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Critical Realist Evaluation of End of Life Care for People with Dementia in Hospitals
IRAS ID
294139
Contact name
Sam Porter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bournemouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Many people who have been living with dementia are admitted into the hospital at the end of their life. This can result in a number of difficult scenarios. Family members and carers are often shocked to hear that a person is dying and may have difficulty accepting this. Clinicians may fail to recognise that a person is dying because there is no clearly identifiable trajectory as people with dementia approach the final weeks and days of their lives.
There is an urgent need to improve the end-of-life (EoL) care for people with dementia, given the rapidly increasing numbers of people affected by this life-limiting illness and the current underdevelopment and variability of practice. Therefore, this project aims to develop programme theories that inform the development of an intervention to support quality and sustainable end-of-life care for people with dementia in hospitals.
This is a 3-year PhD project that is match-funded between Bournemouth University and Yeovil District Hospital. The study will be conducted in Yeovil District Hospital.
The participants (stakeholders) will include patients bereaved relatives, healthcare staff, and managers.
This research project will follow a sequential multistage qualitative model to develop programme theories (intervention theories). The main two phases are evidence synthesis (systematic review, critical realist review) and realist evaluation (developing programme theories, refining programme theories.
1. A systematic literature review of current interventions.
2. A realist literature review to identify mechanisms that inhibit or enhance quality end-of-life care.
3. Develop programme theories using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with stakeholders to establish their needs/interpretations of the patients needs, how those needs are or could be met, and what factors might promote or inhibit Develop 'programme theories'.
4. Present programme theories to stockholders in realist interviews or focus groups to refine programme theories.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
22/WA/0012
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion