Dr Deidre Morgan
Lecturer Palliative Care
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Deidre's research focuses on ways to optimise the function of people at the end-of-life and the role of allied health in this area. She explores this using qualitative and quantitative methods. Deidre collaborates with clinicians to research real life clinical issues that impact patient care in national and international foras.
Deidre's research focuses on ways to optimise the function of people at the end-of-life and the role of allied health in this area. She explores this using qualitative and quantitative methods. Deidre collaborates with clinicians to research real life clinical issues that impact patient care in national and international foras.
As an occupational therapist with 25 years clinical experience Deidre has an indepth understanding of the public health system and the value and importance of clinical research that informs practical patient care. Her clinical and research focus is in palliative care and she has a particular interest in ways to optimise function at the end-of-life. Her PhD, completed in 2012, focused on the embodied experience of functional decline at the end-of-life and patient priorities at this time. It also examined multidisciplinary clinician perspectives about rehabilitation at the end-of-life. In 2013 Deidre moved to Adelaide to take up a research fellow position and project managed the palliative care arm of the 2.5 million dollar NBN telehealth project, funded by the Department of Health. Following this, she held a balanced position in the Occupational Therapy program for 3 years until her move to Palliative and Supportive Services in May 2017. Deidre topic coordinates the post graduate palliative care research topics and her current research focuses on allied health interventions to optimise function for people with advanced disease.
Initial degree:
Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy), Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences, Carlton, Victoria (conferred 1985)
Higher Degrees:
Master of Clinical Science (Occupational Therapy), Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Western Australia (conferred 2004)
Treatise topic: The lived experience of occupational therapists whist facilitating return to home for their palliative patients (minor thesis)
Doctor of Philosophy (NHMRC scholarship), The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria (conferred July 2012)
Treatise topic: The ordinary becomes extraordinary: The occupation of living whilst dying. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/13902
Other qualifications:
Post Graduate Certificate in Palliative Care,Edith Cowan University, Claremont, Western Australia (conferred 1999)
Graduate Diploma in Pastoral Counselling, Kingsley College, Melbourne, Victoria (conferred 1993)
Nominated for the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the PhD Thesis, University of Melbourne
I teach into the Palliative and Supportive Care. Topics include Independent inquiryfor evidence based practice and palliative clinical management, Clinical management A and B.
My current research explores
- ways to optimise function for people with advanced disease and the impact of allied health interventions on function.
- the experience of functional decline, particularly around self care and dignity for people with advanced disease
- the impact of physical caring on caregivers of someone with advanced disease.
- the trajectory of functional decline at the end-of-life and implications for timing of allied health clinical interventions to optimise function.
Research interests:
Qualitative methods, phenomenology, embodied experience of illness, occupational therapy, palliative care, rehabilitation and telehealth, mixed methods research.
I have particular interests in
- ways we can optimise function at the end-of-life - best timing for allied health interventions, efficacy of OT interventions to optimise function
- ways in which optimising function can be supported through telehealth
- peoples' embodied experiences of functional decline
- the effect of dependency in intimate hygiene on dignity at the end-of-life
Current research projects:
2015-2017: Management of functional decline for people with advanced disease. Flinders University, Establishment grant, (Morgan, Currow &Tieman) ($9990)
2015-2016: The impact of allied health interventions on optimsing patient function and reducing physical carer burden in community palliative care: A pilot study. Flinders University Co-investment grant (Morgan, Currow, Willis, McCaffrey & Roe) ($22,000)
2017: Occupational adaptation and its relationship with dignity in self-care occupations of community palliative care clients. (Morgan & Marston) ($5000)
2017-2018: A sit-to-stand intervention to improve functional capacity of palliative care recipients in the community. Flinders Foundation (Morgan, Tieman, Currow, To, Swetenham, & Maeder) ($18,691)
2017-2020: End of Life Essentials in acute hospitals. CommonwealthDepartment of Health/Public Health and Chronic Disease Grant Program (Devery, Rawlings, Morgan) ($743,061)
Supporting translation of knowledge into clinical practice, the scope and role of allied health in palliative care
I am a member of the following
- the inaugural chair of Australian Allied Health in Palliative Care (AAHPC) (2014 current)
- Hospice care
- Palliative care
- Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation in palliative care, ways to optimise function at the end-of-life, physical caregiver burden in the community, dignity as function declines
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