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Dr Thomas Lynch

Formerly at Lancaster University

Thomas Lynch

Career Details

In 2001, Tom Lynch graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a BA (HONS) degree in Health Studies (First-Class) and again in 2003 with an MA in Health Studies (Distinction). In 2010, Tom graduated from the Institute for Health Research at Lancaster University with a PhD that explored the concepts of surveillance, responsibility and risk in relation to female breast cancer. In 2004, Tom graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and worked as a freelance lecturer in Health Studies at the University of Central Lancashire and University of Bolton. Tom has taught a number of research methodology and philosophy modules; for example, in June 2010 he served on the teaching faculty for the International Observatory on End of Life Care (IOELC) summer school for students in the Masters in Hospice Leadership Programme. In both 2009 and 2010, Tom delivered research methods modules for Health Economics and Dissertation Preparation at the Centre for Strategic Health Studies in Damascus as part of the European Union-funded initiative Technical Assistance to the Centre of Strategic Health Studies at the Syrian Ministry of Health, within the remit of the Liverpool University School of Tropical Medicine.

Profile

Tom joined the cluster group of the International Observatory on End of Life Care, Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, in 2003. Since that time, Tom has worked as a research associate at the Observatory on a variety of projects for a number of organisations. In 2004 he worked within the Observatory on a team-based study funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief, UK, into narratives written by professionals, patients and carers about the experiences of knowingly facing death. In 2005, Tom became a member of the European Association for Palliative Care Task Force for the Development of Palliative Care in Europe which explored, assessed and comprehensively summarized the state of the development of palliative care in the European region. Since 2006, Tom has been working on projects for the Open Society Institute that include a project to revise and update country reports for each of the 28 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States, and a project to identify national and international foundations and agencies that provide funding for hospice and palliative care activities in developing countries. In 2006, Tom worked on a global mapping of palliative care initiative with the Rev. Dr Michael Wright, that was funded by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organisation; Tom had previously worked as a research assistant on a project that assessed the current state of hospice and palliative care provision in Africa, mapping the existence of services country by country and exploring the perspectives and experiences of those involved, with a view to stimulating new development. In 2007, Tom began working with Professor Sheila Payne on a project funded by the Big Lottery (UK) interviewing patients from hospice/palliative day care units in the North West region of England as part of a large multi-centre quantitative study to determine the prevalence, aetiology, and natural history of depression and demoralization in patients with advanced cancer. He has also worked on an ESRC funded project with Dr Carol Thomas that re-analysed two datasets comprising in-depth interviews with adult cancer patients and their main informal carers. In 2009, Tom commenced work on the Access to Opioid Medications in Europe (ATOME) Project. The project is designed to help European governments identify and remove barriers that prevent people from accessing medicines that could improve end of life care, alleviate debilitating pain and treat heroin dependence. In 2010, Tom worked with Dr. Iris Fineberg on a community-based evaluation of Preferred Priorities for Care in the North-West of England. Also in 2010, Tom worked on an evaluation of the Open Society Institute’s International Palliative Care Initiative with Professor David Clark. Following the evaluation, Tom commenced work as a Consultant for Open Society Institute conducting palliative care needs assessments in Georgia and developing palliative care standards in Republic of Kazakhstan. Future projects for 2011 include conducting palliative care needs assessments in Republic of Moldova and Tajikistan. In 2011, Tom commenced work for the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance, updating the previous global palliative care mapping exercise conducted in 2006 that measured palliative care development in all countries of the world and classified them according to level of palliative care development.

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