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Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship

Downey, John; Fornasiero, Mauro; Cooper, Susan; Bassett, Lynn; Doherty, Margaret; Dubeibe Fong, Alejandra; Bradley, Natasha; Cornwall, Jon

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Authors

John Downey

Mauro Fornasiero

Susan Cooper

Lynn Bassett

Margaret Doherty

Alejandra Dubeibe Fong

Natasha Bradley

Jon Cornwall



Abstract

Background: Palliative care requires innovative methods to understand what works, for whom, in what circumstances and why. Realist evaluation has become one prominent approach due to its preoccupation with building, and testing, causal theories to explain the influence of contextual factors on outcomes. Undertaking realist evaluation is not without challenges and may amplify issues of underrepresentation, disempower those working in palliative care, and produce results with poor ecological validity. Complementary approaches are needed which mitigate these challenges, whilst producing credible findings that advances knowledge. Purpose: In this article it is outlined how realist evaluation provides a toolkit to advance research to explain, and empirically test, the complex contours of palliative care. Moreover, it is proposed that transformative evaluation can provide a catalyst to engage and empower those within palliative care, create the opportunity for care transformation, and produce more informed and authentic theories. Discussion: Contemporary issues in palliative care pertain to the complexity of palliative care, the insufficiency of experimental designs alone, and the challenges of achieving inclusive research participation. In this article it is argued that theory led, participatory, opportunistic and naturalistic approaches can provide an antidote to the issues in the literature. The combination also mitigates many methodological critiques of the individual approaches, by increasing the transformative potential of realist evaluation, and explanatory potential of transformative evaluation.

Citation

Downey, J., Fornasiero, M., Cooper, S., Bassett, L., Doherty, M., Dubeibe Fong, A., …Cornwall, J. (2023). Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship. Palliative Medicine, 37(3), 413-420. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163231152524

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 1, 2023
Online Publication Date Feb 2, 2023
Publication Date Mar 1, 2023
Deposit Date Feb 17, 2023
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Palliative Medicine
Print ISSN 0269-2163
Electronic ISSN 1477-030X
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 37
Issue 3
Pages 413-420
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163231152524
Keywords Anesthesiology; Pain Medicine; General Medicine; Palliative care; end-of-life; volunteer; research methodology
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10443002
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163231152524

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Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship (210 Kb)
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Licence
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Copyright Statement
This is the author’s accepted manuscript of the article ‘Downey, J., Fornasiero, M., Cooper, S., Bassett, L., Doherty, M., Dubeibe Fong, A., …Cornwall, J. (2023). Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship. Palliative Medicine, 37(3), 413-420'.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163231152524

The final published version is available here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163231152524


Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship (268 Kb)
PDF

Licence
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Publisher Licence URL
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Copyright Statement
This is the author’s accepted manuscript of the article ‘Downey, J., Fornasiero, M., Cooper, S., Bassett, L., Doherty, M., Dubeibe Fong, A., …Cornwall, J. (2023). Combining realist evaluation and transformative evaluation to advance research in palliative care: The case of end of life companionship. Palliative Medicine, 37(3), 413-420'.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163231152524

The final published version is available here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02692163231152524





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