Supporting final wishes: improving end-of-life care for PF patients

Associate Professor Vidya Navaratnam, a specialist in pulmonary fibrosis research, is the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Geoff Laurent Senior Fellowship.

This esteemed Fellowship was created in memory of Emeritus Professor Geoff Laurent, a well-known Perth respiratory researcher and former Director of the Institute for Respiratory Health (IRH).

The purpose of the Fellowship is to advance research into lung diseases, encourage international collaboration and inspire a new generation of researchers to develop innovative approaches in the field of respiratory health.

Associate Professor Vidya Navaratnam will use the Fellowship to address an important issue for people living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF): where they spend their final days and how often they get admitted to hospital in their last year of life.

Her research will explore what factors influence whether people with PF die in hospital, at home, or somewhere else and how often patients end up in hospital and why in their last year of life. The project will be the first to look into whether the timing of death after diagnosis affects where they pass away.

“We know that many people with PF want to stay at home in their last days, but often end up in hospitals,” Associate Professor Navaratnam said.

“My research aims to change this by providing better ways to support patients and their carers/families, so they have a choice in where they receive care.”

By understanding what leads to death in hospital, Associate Professor Navaratnam hopes to improve community support and end-of-life care, helping more patients stay at home if that is their preference.
Her findings could lead to new international guidelines and change the way doctors plan and deliver care to PF patients around the world.

This research is part of a broader international program called OLYMPIAD, which focuses on improving the quality of life and supportive care for people with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Associate Professor Navaratnam’s project will be based at University College London (UCL) with Professor Joanna Porter and will involve partnerships with Professor Gisli Jenkins and Professor Jennifer Quint at Imperial College.

Emeritus Professor Geoff Stewart, Director of the Institute for Respiratory Health and a close colleague and friend of the late Professor Laurent, said, “Geoff was always a strong advocate for bringing people together to find new solutions. He would be proud knowing his legacy is helping senior researchers like Vidya address important gaps in patient care, ensuring people with lung diseases can live – and die – with dignity and comfort.”

The Geoff Laurent Fellowships for Respiratory Health are awarded annually, supporting researchers who are making a real difference in the field. For more details visit – resphealth.org.au/the-laurent-fellowship-for-respiratory-health

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