Creating a research culture in a palliative care service environment: a qualitative study of the evolution of staff attitudes to research during a large longitudinal controlled trial (ISRCTN81117481).
This study investigated the impact of a three-year randomized control trial of different models of service provision on palliative care staff associated with the hospice where the trial was being conducted. Eleven open access de-identified qualitative focus groups were held over a period of three years: three months into the trial, one year after its inception, and at the end of the trial. Four staff groups were involved: inpatient hospice nurses, palliative care outreach nurses, medical palliative specialists, and administrative staff and social workers. Initially the impact of the trial produced high levels of staff stress which largely diminished over time, to be replaced by enthusiasm for the changes achieved and sadness that post trial the perceived benefits gained would be lost. When attempting to change a clinical culture to incorporate research, and in particular where increased staff workload is involved, highly interactive levels of communication and valuing of staff input are required to minimize the stress and burden of this imposition.
Grbich
Carol
C
Department of Palliative and Supportive Services, Division of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
Abernethy
Amy P
AP
Shelby-James
Tania
T
Fazekas
Belinda
B
Currow
David C
DC
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010166:Palliative Care; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D013021:South Australia; D016526:Workload