New UCD and Children’s Hospice agreement will lead to specialised research

The new agreement is set to lead to “specialised research into understudied healthcare field”.

The three-year collaboration between the UCD School of Psychology and LauraLynn Children’s Hospice, aims to develop teaching and research practices in paediatric palliative care.

“The research partnership between LauraLynn and UCD is a significant step forward for the field of children’s palliative care,” said Dr Aidan Mc Kiernan, Principal Clinical Psychologist (Specialist) and Clinical Lead for Research at LauraLynn.

“As a specialised area of practice, paediatric palliative care is relatively new and one that requires further advancement. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between LauraLynn and UCD is a significant milestone for paediatric palliative care here in Ireland.”

According to UCD and LauraLynn to date in Ireland, formal links between children’s palliative care service providers and university centres “have been lacking”.

Ms Suzanne Guerin, Associate Professor with UCD School of Psychology said “Children’s palliative care in Ireland is an under-funded and often, a misunderstood area of care. As a relatively new field, opportunities for research in this area are extensive and we are excited for what this collaboration can bring.

“We are looking forward to working closely with LauraLynn over the next three years to help further develop knowledge within paediatric palliative care and educate students for future success within this specialised field.”