Research in hospice care

Find out why it’s important for hospices to be involved in research and how you can get started. Get support for carrying out robust research projects, measuring outcomes, and sharing your findings.

Why is research important for hospices?

Being involved in research can bring tremendous benefits to your hospice. It enables you to:

evaluate and improve the quality of care you provide
understand the impact of your services
find out how you are meeting the needs of your patients and carers.
add to the growing body of evidence about what works in palliative and end of life care.

However, we know that getting involved can be a daunting prospect. On this page we're sharing some resources that can help you get started with research.

Research in hospices: why it matters to patients

Professor Jon Wadsley explores the importance of research to improve end of life care at hospices, and how patients can help drive the national agenda.

Find out more

Overcoming barriers to research

In 2023, a group of researchers from the University of Lancaster investigated the barriers that prevent hospices from becoming ‘research active’. The findings were presented at our National Conference in 2023.

Many of the barriers they found were the same as those described in our report Research in Palliative Care: Can hospices afford not to be involved?, which was published 10 years earlier.

To help overcome these barriers, the researchers have developed a practical resource to help people working in hospices feel more confident about getting involved in research.

The resource includes short videos and written guides on topics such as:

Planning and designing your study
Research ethics and governance
Getting informed consent from participants
Data management
Sharing your findings.

Browse the resources

This was developed by Professors Catherine Walshe and Lesley Dunleavy, alongside colleagues from Hospice UK, LOROS, Marie Curie and Sue Ryder, and volunteers from across the hospice sector.