Dr Madeleine Harrison
PhD, MPH, BSc (Hons)
School of Medicine and Population Health
Research Fellow
+44 114 215 9696
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
Office 223, Broomcross Building
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
- Profile
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Since joining the University of Sheffield in 2014, I have contributed to multidisciplinary research in stroke rehabilitation and palliative care, with a particular focus on communication difficulties. My work explores the experiences of patients, family members and healthcare professionals and uses these insights to inform improvements in care delivery and outcomes. I employ qualitative, mixed-methods, and co-production approaches, as well as process evaluation to advance the development, implementation, and impact of complex interventions.
I was awarded a Stroke Association Postgraduate Fellowship in 2014 and completed my PhD in 2019. My doctoral research evaluated the intervention fidelity of self-managed computerised speech and language therapy for people with post-stroke aphasia, contributing to the development and refinement of digital therapy approaches.
I re-joined the Division of Population Health as a Research Fellow in 2024 to contribute to the COM-STAR project, which designs and evaluates a communication training package for NHS stroke care staff. The project combines a national survey and qualitative interviews to understand current practice, co-design of training with stroke survivors and family members, and evaluation of implementation in real-world clinical settings to support sustainable improvements in stroke care communication.
- Research interests
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My research interests are focused on working with patients, carers and healthcare providers in order to understand their experiences of engaging with healthcare services and health technology with the ultimate goal of improving service delivery. Methodologically, my experience is in qualitative and mixed methods research.
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Understanding the palliative care needs and experiences of people with mesothelioma and their family carers : an integrative systematic review. Palliative Medicine, 35(6), 1039-1051. View this article in WRRO
- Factors Associated With Adherence to Self-Managed Aphasia Therapy Practice on a Computer—A Mixed Methods Study Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, ---.
- Self-managed, computerised speech and language therapy for patients with chronic aphasia post-stroke compared with usual care or attention control (Big CACTUS) : a multicentre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology, 18(9), 821-833. View this article in WRRO
- Psychological and emotional needs, assessment and support post-stroke: a multi-perspective qualitative study. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 24(2), 119-125. View this article in WRRO
- Exploring patient and public involvement in stroke research: a qualitative study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(23), 2174-2183. View this article in WRRO
- Provision of palliative and end-of-life care in stroke units: A qualitative study. Palliative Medicine, 27(9), 855-860.
All publications
Journal articles
- Multi-perspective views about healthcare experiences for those with incurable head and neck cancer: A prospective, longitudinal, qualitative study.. Palliat Med, 2692163261416267.
- Using co-design to identify healthcare priorities for patients with incurable head and neck cancer. BMC Health Services Research, 26(1). View this article in WRRO
- Identifying the active ingredients of a computerized speech and language therapy intervention for poststroke aphasia: multiple methods investigation alongside a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies, 10. View this article in WRRO
- Mesothelioma patient and carer experience research: A research prioritisation exercise. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 63. View this article in WRRO
- Developing, monitoring, and reporting of fidelity in aphasia trials: core recommendations from the collaboration of aphasia trialists (CATs) trials for aphasia panel. Aphasiology, 37(11), 1733-1755. View this article in WRRO
- Palliative care roles and responsibilities of mesothelioma clinical nurse specialists in the UK. Progress in Palliative Care.
- Clinical nurse specialist role in providing generalist and specialist palliative care : a qualitative study of mesothelioma clinical nurse specialists. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(9), 2973-2982. View this article in WRRO
- Patients’ and informal carers’ experience of living with mesothelioma: A systematic rapid review and synthesis of the literature. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 58. View this article in WRRO
- Understanding the experiences of end of life care for patients with mesothelioma from the perspective of bereaved family caregivers in the UK: a qualitative analysis. Journal of Palliative Care, 37(2), 197-203. View this article in WRRO
- Service change and innovation in community end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative analysis of a nationwide primary care survey. Palliative Medicine, 36(1), 161-170. View this article in WRRO
- Self-managed, computerised word finding therapy as an add-on to usual care for chronic aphasia post-stroke : an economic evaluation. Clinical Rehabilitation, 35(5), 703-717. View this article in WRRO
- Understanding the palliative care needs and experiences of people with mesothelioma and their family carers : an integrative systematic review. Palliative Medicine, 35(6), 1039-1051. View this article in WRRO
- What are the factors that may influence the implementation of self-managed computer therapy for people with long term aphasia following stroke? A qualitative study of speech and language therapists’ experiences in the Big CACTUS trial. Disability and Rehabilitation.
- Factors Associated With Adherence to Self-Managed Aphasia Therapy Practice on a Computer—A Mixed Methods Study Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, ---.
- Computerised speech and language therapy or attention control added to usual care for people with long-term post-stroke aphasia : the Big CACTUS three-arm RCT. Health Technology Assessment, 24(19), 1-176. View this article in WRRO
- Self-managed, computerised speech and language therapy for patients with chronic aphasia post-stroke compared with usual care or attention control (Big CACTUS) : a multicentre, single-blinded, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology, 18(9), 821-833. View this article in WRRO
- Psychological and emotional needs, assessment and support post-stroke: a multi-perspective qualitative study. Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 24(2), 119-125. View this article in WRRO
- Negotiating excess treatment costs in a clinical research trial: the good, the bad and the innovative. Trials , 17. View this article in WRRO
- Exploring patient and public involvement in stroke research: a qualitative study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(23), 2174-2183. View this article in WRRO
- Provision of palliative and end-of-life care in stroke units: A qualitative study. Palliative Medicine, 27(9), 855-860.
- Patients' and carers' experiences of gaining access to acute stroke care: A qualitative study. Emergency Medicine Journal, 30(12), 1033-1037. View this article in WRRO
- Challenges in building interpersonal care in organised hospital stroke units: the perspectives of stroke survivors, family caregivers and the multidisciplinary team. Journal of Advanced Nursing .
Conference proceedings
- 95 ‘I wouldn’t know who to contact’: understanding and improving healthcare experiences for those with incurable head and neck cancer using serial, qualitative patient interviews. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, Vol. 15(Suppl 2) (pp A44-A44). Belfast, Northern Ireland, 20 March 2025 - 20 March 2025. View this article in WRRO
- OP-2 Giving voice to those with incurable head and neck cancer (HNC): understanding and identifying priorities for improving healthcare experiences. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, Vol. 15(Suppl 1) (pp A1-A1). Virtual, online, 11 February 2025 - 11 February 2025. View this article in WRRO
- 69 New research-based resources to facilitate engagement with palliative care for patients and families living with mesothelioma. Lung Cancer, Vol. 190 (pp 107630-107630)
- Research-based tools to encourage and facilitate engagement with palliative care for patients and families living with mesothelioma. LUNG CANCER, Vol. 178 (pp S23-S24)
- Understanding the role of Mesothelioma UK clinical nurse specialists in meeting the palliative care needs of patients and families: a mixed methods study. LUNG CANCER, Vol. 165 (pp S26-S26)
- Patient and informal carers experience of living with mesothelioma: a systematic rapid review and synthesis of the literature. Lung Cancer, Vol. 156(Supplement 1) (pp S31-S31). Virtual, 22 April 2021 - 22 April 2021. View this article in WRRO
- Palliative care provision in mesothelioma: perspectives of mesothelioma clinical nurse specialists in the UK. LUNG CANCER, Vol. 156 (pp S30-S31)
- Patient and Public involvement in stroke research in the UK: a qualitative study. International Journal of Stroke, Vol. 3(8) (pp 18-18)
- Key Stakeholders Recognize the Need for a Structured Approach to Psychological Support with Input from a Clinical Psychologist. STROKE, Vol. 44(2)
- Understanding the palliative care needs and experiences of people with mesothelioma and their family carers : an integrative systematic review. Palliative Medicine, 35(6), 1039-1051. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Rehabilitation and Aging
- Grants
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- Collaborator: Aphasia Partnership Training (APT). 2025-2031 [NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Health Research £3,800,000] (CI Rebecca Palmer, University of Sheffield)
- Stroke Association Postgraduate Fellowship: Evaluating the intervention fidelity of self-managed computer therapy for aphasia post-stroke. (2014-2019)
- Teaching interests
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I am interested in supervising PhD students in stroke rehabilitation, particularly those using qualitative, mixed-methods, or co-production approaches to research.
- Projects
Current
- A longitudinal qualitative study aiming to explore the experiences of patients with incurable head and neck cancer and using co-design methods to identify priorities and develop ways to improve care experiences (ii-HANC)
Previous
- A mixed methods study exploring the role of Mesothelioma UK clinical nurse specialists in meeting the palliative care needs of patients and families
- A process evaluation of intervention fidelity to self-managed computer aphasia therapy
- A randomised controlled trial exploring whether self-managed computer therapy can help people with post-stroke aphasia find more words (Big CACTUS)
- A qualitative study exploring patient, carer and health care professional’s experience of stroke care across South Yorkshire
- A qualitative study exploring patient and public involvement in stroke research