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Palliative Care Research Collaboration

THRF Group – Palliative Care proudly supports world-class medical research and patient care activities for palliative care and end-of-life.

Statewide Research Program Adelaide University

Palliative Care Research Program

An unprecedented $2.25 million grant from The Hospital Research Foundation Group will help pioneer a five-year study to improve access to end-of-life services for vulnerable community groups. The study will seek to promote death literacy as part of a broader project to improve access to end-of-life services for many vulnerable South Australians. Due to limitations in some communities surrounding geography, education, economics, and accessibility, palliative care is not currently equally available to all South Australians.

“Everyone deserves access to quality palliative care regardless of where they live.”

The project, officially launched in October 2022, is being led by Associate Professor Jaklin Eliott from the University of Adelaide who says, speaking honestly and openly about death is an important, but often underestimated part, of palliative care. In an SA first, palliative care researchers from the University of Adelaide will collaborate with the University of South Australia, Flinders University, and various local health networks and peak advocacy organisations to help bridge the gap for palliative care. In consultation with patients and families, communities, and not-for-profit organisations, and with clinicians and policymakers, A/Professor Eliott explains:

“We will identify and develop resources to address what is needed to support under-served South Australians to access end-of-life care that is preferred by and meaningful to patients and their carers.”

Find out more about this innovative research project delivering improved palliative care services to some of the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community here.

The Research

Palliative care is not equally available to all Australians, for reasons including where they live, costs of care, workforce issues, as well as awareness and accessibility of palliative care.

We know that there are some population groups and communities who do not access palliative care services as often as others. This means that we aren’t providing these under-served communities with the information and services they need when, where, and how they need them. With an ageing population in Australia the number of people needing palliative care is forecast to increase. This research program will focus on addressing the challenges under-served South Australian people and communities experience in accessing end-of-life care, whilst continuing to strengthen what is working well.

In this five-year transformative research program, we will identify and develop resources to best support under-served South Australians to access end-of-life care that is preferred by and meaningful to patients and their carers. As end-of-life care is provided in multiple settings, including within hospitals, within communities, and within families, this research program will examine the provision and receipt of care in all three setting.

This research program is built on close collaboration between our experienced research team and our extensive network of partners representing community, clinical, and policy interests. This will ensure that what we do, and how we do it, is done hand-in-hand with our partners, so our research outcomes will be translated into meaningful and sustainable change.

The program consists of five individual projects, all underpinned by the key principles of knowledge translation, co-design, and community engagement.

Chief Investigators

Associate Investigators

Research Associates

Higher Degree by Research candidates

Project Manager

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