Scholarly Impact Report 2023

CATHERINE MCAULEY SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY, UCC

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CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE/PRESENTATIONS

Dr Mohamad Saab presents about the Communication Experiences of Patients and Families referred to Specialist Palliative Care Services at the COMET 2023 Conference COMET is an international and interdisciplinary conference on communication, medicine, and ethics. This year, the COMET 2023 conference took place in UCC from 20 to 22 June 2023. Dr Mohamad Saab, Senior Lecturer and Director of Graduate Studies, gave an oral presentation during the conference about the communication experiences of patients and families referred to specialist palliative care services. This project, Oral Presentation by Varsha N. Shetty at the “Reflections and Projections” Conference hosted by Marymount University Hospital and Hospice Research Assistant Varsha N. Shetty delivered an oral presentation titled “The Communication Experiences of Persons Referred to Specialist Palliative Care Services and their Carers: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study” at the international conference “Reflections and Projections”, hosted by Marymount University Hospital & Hospice. The conference took place in Pairc Uí Caoimh in Cork on 12 and 13 October 2023.

funded under the College of Medicine and Health interdisciplinary Seed Awards (CiSA) and conducted in collaboration with Marymount University Hospital and Hospice, involved interviewing 17 patients and family members referred to specialist palliative care services about their communication experiences and recommendations to improve such experiences. Study findings and recommendations will be used to improve the way palliative care referral is communicated to patients and family members. Several research outputs from this project are underway. Lead and Team Members: Dr Mohamad M. Saab (Principal Investigator), Ms. Megan McCarthy, Ms. Varsha N Shetty, Dr Mary Jane O’Leary, Professor Josephine Hegarty, and Dr Fiona Kiely This qualitative study led by Dr Mohamad M. Saab and funded by University College Cork, College of Medicine and Health interdisciplinary Seed Awards (CiSA) 2021 examined the communication experiences of 17 individuals referred to specialist palliative care services and their carers. The study also explored strategies to improve the communication of palliative care referrals. Compassion, empathy, hope, privacy, face-to-face communication, personalized referral, and appropriate information delivery were identified as crucial elements of effective communication of a palliative care referral. Lead and Team Members: Dr. Mohamad M. Saab (Principal Investigator), Ms. Megan McCarthy, Ms. Varsha N Shetty, Dr. Mary Jane O’Leary, Professor Josephine Hegarty, Dr. Fiona Kiely.