PACE: Palliative Care for Older People
Research type
Research Study
Full title
PACE: Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) in Long Term Care Facilities in Europe: Cross sectional study of deaths.
IRAS ID
167372
Contact name
Becky Gordon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Societies in the EU are ageing, leading to the need not only to improve health by prevention but also to improve quality of life and to enable people to live and die well. Given this large and growing challenge, there is an urgent need for research that can inform the development of policies for older people on an international scale.
The overall aim of the study is to assess whether care home residents and their families have better outcomes (quality of dying, quality of life) when formal palliative care structures are in place. It aims to do this by comparing the effectiveness of health care systems with and without formal palliative care structures for care homes in six EU countries.
Care homes who agree to take part in the study will be asked to identify residents who have died over a previous three month period. For each deceased resident identified, a questionnaire will be sent out by the care home on behalf of the research team to the nurse or care home staff most closely involved in the resident’s care, the relative or friend most closely involved in the resident’s care and the resident’s GP. The resident’s identity and the identity of those approached to complete a questionnaire will be anonymous to the research team. In each care home taking part, an anonymous questionnaire asking staff about their knowledge and attitudes towards palliative care will be distributed and a member of the care homes management team will be asked to complete a questionnaire about the services that are in place in the care home.
Lancaster University are leading the UK arm of this study however recruitment will be conducted in up to 60 care homes in England, providing a sample of 200 deceased care home residents. Study recruitment is due to end in January 2016.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0205
Date of REC Opinion
19 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion