The ACUTE study, optimising support for acute oncology patients: a mixed methods study with health care professionals and patients

Acute oncology is a unique area of medicine. Acute oncology services manage patients who are acutely unwell due to their cancer and/or cancer treatment and patients who are acutely unwell due to an undiagnosed cancer at admission to hospital.

This novel PhD aims to understand what it is like to experience the acute oncology pathway, for patients, acute oncology staff and other Health Care Professionals (HCPs) who interact with acute oncology patients,  identifying unmet patient needs, understanding HCPs' views and experiences of service delivery, and exploring where improvements could be made.

Consisting of a systematic review, interviews with acute oncology patients and HCPs, and a national survey of acute oncology HCPs to explore experiences, views and unmet needs, with regards to service delivery, to optimise support for acute oncology patients. HRA approval will be required and service users engaged throughout.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Oxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxINAHR) – a vibrant multi-disciplinary Research Institute. Sitting within the Supportive Cancer Care group, this PhD would suit a researcher with experience of cancer, health care or health services research or a health care professional with research experience.

Excellent interpersonal skills are essential, as is a passion for improving support for oncology patients and ability to work independently and at a high level, within a sensitive topic area. Some prior experience of qualitative research and/or survey design would be desirable. Experience with individuals with cancer would be favourable.

This studentship requires you to undertake the equivalent of up to 6 hrs of teaching per week on average, during semester time, and to include preparation and marking (but no more than 20 hrs per week), and to participate in a teaching skills course without further remuneration.