The following lists palliative care research primarily conducted by Australian research groups. The list is based on application of the CareSearch search filter for palliative care to identify articles held within the PubMed database and corresponding to the strongest evidence. Articles have been selected based on relevance and new articles are added on a weekly basis.
Whilst not an exhaustive list, the aim is to keep the community informed by providing a snapshot of recent research findings and planned studies in the Australian setting.
Johnson CE, Dai Y, Bryce L, Joseph N, Arthur B, Thorne K, et al.
Background: With an aging population worldwide, many countries face increasing challenges in delivering quality palliative care in long-term care facilities for older people (LTCFs). In Australia, a Royal Commission into Quality and safety of Aged Care in 2021 highlighted significant gaps in this field. In response, the Palliative Aged Care Outcomes Program (PACOP), a person-centred outcomes framework, was developed to address gaps in identification, assessment and management of palliative care needs in LTCFs.
Objective: To present the development, implementation and early process evaluation of PACOP.
Design: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study with embedded qualitative open-ended questions.
Methods: PACOP was co-designed with sector stakeholders and informed by insights from the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC)-Wicking trial. Launched in 2022, it comprises two key components: the Profile and Outcomes Collections, supported by national benchmarks, improvement facilitators, training, data and IT infrastructure. A process evaluation, guided by Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), used the NoMAD instrument and open-ended questions to explore healthcare workers’ experiences of the PACOP implementation.
Results: By June 2025, 440 of 2,622 (16.8%) LTCFs in Australia participated in PACOP. Key facilitators included organizational buy-in, leadership support, the train-the-trainer model and improvement facilitators. Participants reported that PACOP improved early identification of residents’ palliative care needs, supported structured care planning and informed service improvement. However, challenges such as workforce instability, inexperienced staff and limited IT integration were identified.
Conclusion: PACOP has achieved substantial uptake and early signs of successful implementation in Australian LTCFs. Continued investment in organizational systems change, tailored training, digital integration, along with responsive benchmarking and feedback mechanisms, are essential to sustaining its implementation and enhancing palliative care quality in LTCFs.
Last updated 30 April 2024