Journal clubs in palliative care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Journal clubs in palliative care: the evaluation of a Toolkit to support the implementation of a hospice multidisciplinary journal club
IRAS ID
325173
Contact name
Amarachukwu Nwosu
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
A journal club is an educational event where staff can discuss research, to learn how this can support practice. Evidence shows that journal clubs are useful tools to support staff development and can help to improve clinical practice. Several challenges prevent hospices from experiencing the benefits of journal clubs. These challenges include a lack of knowledge of the benefits of journal clubs, organisational difficulties, and an inadequate skill mix to effectively run sessions. In this study, we aim to overcome these challenges, by determining the feasibility of using of a Toolkit to support implementation of a palliative care journal club in a UK hospice.
We have designed a Toolkit to help palliative care healthcare professionals implement a journal club in hospices, based on the model of the successful Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool (MCHL) journal club. Over 6 months we will work with senior management at St Marys hospice Ulverston to implement the journal club, using a stepwise process identified in the Toolkit. We will determine the impact of the Toolkit, by collecting data on the number of journal clubs conducted, the number of attendees and the research questions generated. We will ask hospice staff to complete an electronic questionnaire to provide their views about the journal club. We will conduct qualitative interviews with staff responsible for the project implementation, to determine their views and opinions of the process. We will use this data to make necessary changes and improvements to the Toolkit so it can be shared nationally (at no cost) with hospice leaders to support the implementation of palliative care journal clubs in hospices throughout the UK.
Research outcomes:
This end of study report outlines the successful completion, evaluation, and subsequent dissemination of the project evaluating a Toolkit designed to support hospice multidisciplinary journal clubs. The study achieved its primary objectives, demonstrating that the use of a structured, stepwise Toolkit can effectively facilitate the development, testing, and implementation of a palliative care-focused journal club within a hospice setting. Following completion, the project has progressed to national dissemination and public launch.
Key Findings and Outcomes:
The study evaluated the implementation of the Toolkit at the pilot site, St Mary’s Hospice, Ulverston. The project successfully delivered six structured journal club sessions, achieving engagement across diverse professional groups within the hospice, including clinical, educational, fundraising, corporate services, and volunteering sectors.
Key metrics:
Attendance: A total of 42 individuals attended the sessions, averaging 12 attendees per journal club.
Feedback Questionnaire: Twenty-one participants completed the online feedback evaluation, with 100% reporting that the journal club was a useful educational intervention.
Qualitative Interviews: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four members of the senior management and implementation team to capture local barriers, facilitators, and sustainability factors.
The evaluation established that the Toolkit effectively overcomes traditional organisational barriers to hospice research engagement by providing clear guidance on paper selection, role allocation, and critical appraisal. Staff feedback highlighted direct positive impacts on local quality improvement activity, staff development, and the fostering of a research-aware culture.
Dissemination and Impact:
In line with the project's dissemination strategy, the findings and final outputs have been shared widely across the UK palliative care community:
National Conference Presentation: The study findings and evaluation data were presented nationally at the Hospice UK National Conference, highlighting how journal clubs bridge the gap between academic evidence and bedside practice.
Official Launch: The Palliative Care Journal Club Toolkit was formally finalised, refined using the study data, and launched during a dedicated meeting in Liverpool in December 2025.
Open Access Availability: To fulfil the aim of delivering a low-cost, high-impact resource to the wider sector, the finalised Toolkit has been made freely available for download and use on the Marie Curie website.
Conclusion:
The evaluation confirms that this Toolkit provides a reproducible, scalable framework for establishing sustainable educational clubs within specialist palliative care settings. By making this resource open-access, we hope to encourage hospices across the UK to adopt the model to enhance evidence-based practice and reinforce a research-active culture to improve service user outcomes.
REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/1196
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion