Anne MacFarlane Ph.D is Professor of Primary Healthcare Research at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick. She is the first social scientist to hold a Chair in academic primary care in Ireland. Anne has 20 years' experience of using qualitative research methods with a portfolio of completed health services research projects and educational research projects.

Anne has established an inter-disciplinary research group at GEMS with members from general practice, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, sociology, psychology and biostatistics.

Anne graduated with a B.A. (psychology and sociology) from University College Cork in 1992. She completed her M.A. (1995) and Ph.D (1998) in the Department of Health Promotion, NUI Galway. After working as a Research Fellow in University College London for two years (2000-2002), Anne returned to Ireland and held a Health Research Board Health Services Research Fellowship in the Department of General Practice, NUI Galway (2002-2004). She was Lecturer in Primary Care at the Department of General Practice NUI Galway (2004-2011).

Competitive Grants:

Anne has a research income of €7 million euro for primary healthcare research and development projects since 2002.

Anne completed her role in March 2015 as Principal Investigator for a 2.9 million euro EU FP7 project REsearch into implementation STrategies to support patients of different ORigins and language background in a variety of European primary care settings - RESTORE.  She is working on international dissemination of RESTORE findings to academic and policy audiences.

Anne was Principal Investigator (2010-2014) for Health Research Board Research Award (210,000 euro) called Towards a Framework for Implementation of User Involvement in Primary Healthcare – FUSION

She is Principal Investigator (2014-2107) for a Health Research Board Research Award (333,000) for a project about Primary Care Teams and their implementation in the Health Service Executive.

Anne is Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. Austin O’ Carroll for the Partnership for Health Equity

Higher Degree Supervision

Anne has extensive experience of postgraduate research supervision. She is currently PhD supervisor for:

Edel Tierney (UL) Involving communities in Primary Care Teams: An analysis of rhetoric and practice (2015-present)

Pauline Clerkin (UL & HRB SPHERE Structured PhD Scholar) Primary healthcare research – improving general practice care for people with dementia (2015-present)

Ruth McMenamin (NUI Galway see http://www.nuigalway.ie/speech_language_therapy/staff/ruth_mcmenamin.html) Evaluating Conversation Partner Programmes - Perspectives of People with Aphasia (September 2008-present).

Anne is co-supervisor for:

Mary O’Reilly de Brun (NUI Galway http://www.nuigalway.ie/general_practice/staff/researchstaff.html Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) research methodology: principles, pragmatics and potential for cross-cultural community-engaged primary healthcare research in Europe. (2013 to present)

Tomas de Brun (NUI Galway) Community-oriented primary healthcare:  supporting health professionals in understanding the dynamics of culture within a European migrant healthcare project. (2013 to present)

Publications

O'Reilly-de Brún, M., de Brún, T., O'Donnell, C.A., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Lionis, C., Burns, N., Dowrick, C., Gravenhorst, K., Spiegel, W., Van Weel, C., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Material practices for meaningful engagement: An analysis of participatory learning and action research techniques for data generation and analysis in a health research partnership', Health Expectations, 1-12, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12598.

O'Donnell, C.A., Mair, F.S., Dowrick, C., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., de Brún, T., Burns, N., Lionis, C., Saridaki, A., Papadakaki, M., van den Muijsenbergh, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Gravenhorst, K., Cooper, L., Princz, C., Teunissen, E., van den Driessen Mareeuw, F., Vlahadi, M., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Supporting the use of theory in cross-country health services research: a participatory qualitative approach using Normalisation Process Theory as an example', Bmj Open, 7(8), available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014289

MacFarlane, A., Galvin, R., O’Sullivan, M., McInerney, C., Meagher, E., Burke, D. and LeMaster, J.W. (2017) 'Participatory methods for research prioritization in primary care: an analysis of the World Café approach in Ireland and the USA', Family Practice, 34(3), 278-284, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmw104.

O’Reilly, P., Lee, S.H., O’Sullivan, M., Cullen, W., Kennedy, C. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Assessing the facilitators and barriers of interdisciplinary team working in primary care using normalisation process theory: An integrative review', PLoS One, 12(5), e0177026, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177026.

Papadakaki, M., Lionis, C., Saridaki, A., Dowrick, C., de Brún, T., O'Reilly-de Brún, M., O'Donnell, C.A., Burns, N., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van den Muijsenbergh, M., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Exploring barriers to primary care for migrants in Greece in times of austerity: Perspectives of service providers', European Journal of General Practice, 23(1), 128 - 134, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13814788.2017.1307336.

Teunissen, E., Gravenhorst, K., Dowrick, C., Van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Van den Driessen Mareeuw, F., de Brún, T., Burns, N., Lionis, C., Mair, F.S., O’Donnell, C., O’Reilly-de Brún, M., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Spiegel, W., Van Weel, C., Van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2017) 'Implementing guidelines and training initiatives to improve cross-cultural communication in primary care consultations: a qualitative participatory European study', Int J Equity Health, 16(1), 32, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0525-y.

de Brún, T., O’Reilly de Brún, M., O’Donnell, C. A., and MacFarlane, A., (2016) 'Learning from doing: the case for combining normalisation process theory and participatory learning and action research methodology for primary healthcare implementation research.', BMC health services research., 16(1), 346, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1587-z.

Lionis, C., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., Dowrick, C., O'Donnell, C. A., Mair, F. S., van den Muijsenbergh, M., Burns, N., deBrún, T., O'Reilly deBrún, M.O.R., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Spiegel, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) 'Engaging migrants and other stakeholders to improve communication in cross-cultural consultation in primary care: a theoretically informed participatory study', BMJ open., 6(7), e010822., available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010822.

O’Reilly-de Brún, M., de Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Bonsenge-Bokanga, J.-S., De Almeida Silva, M.M., Ogbebor, F., Mierzejewska, A., Nnadi, L., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van Weel, C., van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) 'Using Participatory Learning & Action research to access and engage with ‘hard to reach’ migrants in primary healthcare research', BMC Health Services Research, 16(1), 25, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-1247-8.

O'Donnell, C.A., Burns, N., Mair, F. S., Dowrick, C., Clissmann, C., van den Muijsenbergh, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Lionis, C., Papadakaki, M., Saridaki, A., de Brun, T. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) 'Reducing the health care burden for marginalised migrants: The potential role for primary care in Europe', Health Policy, 120(5), 495-508, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2016.03.012.

O'Donnell, P., Tierney, E., O'Carroll, A., Nurse, D. and MacFarlane, A. (2016) 'Exploring levers and barriers to accessing primary care for marginalised groups and identifying their priorities for primary care provision: a participatory learning and action research study', Int J Equity Health, 15(1), 197, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0487-5.

Tierney, E., O'Sullivan, M., Hickey, L., Hannigan, A., May, C., Cullen, W., Kennedy, N., Kineen, L. and MacFarlane, A., (2016) 'Do primary care professions agree about progress with implementation of Primary Care Teams: Results from a cross sectional study', BMC Family Practice, 17(1), 163, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12875-016-0541-9.

de Brún, T., O'Reilly-de Brún, M., , van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van Weel, C., Dowrick, C., Lionis, C.,, O’Donnell, C., Burns, N., Mair, F.S.,  and Saridaki, A., Papadakaki, M., Princz, C., van den Muijsenbergh, M. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) 'Guidelines and training initiatives that support communication in cross-cultural primary-care settings: appraising their implementability using Normalization Process Theory', Family practice., 32(4), 420-425, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmv022.

Mc Menamin, R., Tierney, E. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) 'Who decides what criteria are important to consider in exploring the outcomes of conversation approaches? A participatory health research study', Aphasiology, 29(8), 914-938, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2015.1006564.

McMenamin, R., Tierney, E., and MacFarlane, A., (2015) 'Addressing the long term impacts of aphasia: How far does the Conversation Partner Programme go?', Aphasiology, 29(8), 889-913., available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2015.1004155.

O’Reilly-de Brún, M., MacFarlane, A., de Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Bonsenge-Bokanga, J., De Almeida Silva, M., Ogbebor, F., Mierzejewska, A., Nnadi, L., van den Muijsenbergh, M. and van Weel-Baumgarten, E., (2015) 'Involving migrants in the development of guidelines for communication in cross-cultural general practice consultations: a participatory learning and action research project', Bmj Open, 5(9), e007092., available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007092.

O’Sullivan, M., Cullen, W. and MacFarlane, A. (2015) 'Primary care teams in Ireland: a qualitative mapping review of Irish grey and published literature', Irish Journal of Medical Science, 184(1), 69-73, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11845-014-1128-x.

Teunissen, E., van Bavel, E., van den Driessen Mareeuw, F., MacFarlane, A., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., van den Muijsenbergh, M. and van Weel, C. (2015) 'Mental health problems of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands: A qualitative exploration of recognition, recording, and treatment by general practitioners', Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 33(2), 82-90, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02813432.2015.1041830.

MacFarlane, A., and O'Donnell, C., (2014) 'Who are we and where are we going? Primary care academics in non-clinical posts', Primary Health Care Research & Development, 15(01), 96-103, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1463423612000540.

MacFarlane, A., O'Reilly-De Brún, M., De Brún, T., Dowrick, C., O'Donnell, C., Mair, F., Spiegel, W., van den Muijsenbergh, M., van Weel Baumgarten, E., Lionis, C. and Clissmann, C. (2014) 'Healthcare for migrants, participatory health research and implementation science-better health policy and practice through inclusion. The RESTORE project', European Journal of General Practice, 20(2), 148-152, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13814788.2013.868432.

Mc Menamin, R., Mc Grath, M., Cantillon, P. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) ''Training socially responsive healthcare graduates: Is service learning an effective educational approach?'', Medical teacher, 36(4), 291-307, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2013.873118.

McEvoy, R., Ballini, L., Maltoni, S., O’Donnell, C.A., Mair, F.S. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) 'A qualitative systematic review of studies using the normalization process theory to research implementation processes', Implementation Science, 9(1), 2, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-9-2.

Tierney, E., McEvoy, R., O'Reilly‐de Brún, M., Brún, T., Okonkwo, E., Rooney, M., Dowrick, C., Rogers, A. and MacFarlane, A., (2014) 'A critical analysis of the implementation of service user involvement in primary care research and health service development using normalization process theory', Health Expectations., 19(3), 501-515, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hex.12237.

van den Muijsenbergh, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Burns, N., O'Donnell, C., Mair, F., Spiegel, W., Lionis, C., Dowrick, C., O'Reilly-de Brun, M., de Brun, T. and MacFarlane, A. (2014) 'Communication in cross-cultural consultations in primary care in Europe: the case for improvement. The rationale for the RESTORE FP 7 project', Primary Health Care Research & Development, 15(02), 122-133, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1463423613000157.

Clerkin, P., Buckley, B.S., Murphy, A.W. and MacFarlane, A. (2013) 'Patients' views about the use of their personal information from general practice medical records in health research: a qualitative study in Ireland', Family practice., 30(1), 105-112, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cms036.

Gallagher, N., MacFarlane, A., Murphy, A.W., Freeman, G.K., Glynn, L.G. and Bradley, C.P. (2013) 'Service users’ and caregivers’ perspectives on continuity of care in out-of-hours primary care', Qualitative Health Research, 23(3), 407-421, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732312470521.

McEvoy, R. and MacFarlane, A. (2013) 'Community participation in primary care in Ireland: the need for implementation research', Primary Health Care Research & Development, 14(02), 126-139, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1463423612000163.

O'Donnell, C., Burns, N., Dowrick, C., Lionis, C. and MacFarlane, A., (2013) 'Health-care access for migrants in Europe', The Lancet, 382(9890), 393, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61666-9.

MacFarlane, A., O'Donnell, C., Mair, F., O'Reilly-de Brún, M., de Brún, T., Spiegel, W., van den Muijsenbergh, M., van Weel-Baumgarten, E., Lionis, C., Burns, N., Gravenhorst, K., Princz, C., Teunissen, E., van den Driessen Mareeuw, F., Saridaki, A., Papadakaki, M., Vlahadi, M. and Dowrick, C. (2012) 'Research into implementation Strategies to support patients of different Origins and language background in a variety of European primary care settings (RESTORE): Study protocol', Implementation Science, 7(1), 1, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-7-111.

MacFarlane, A. and O'Reilly-De Brún, M. (2012) 'Using a theory-driven conceptual framework in qualitative health research', Qualitative Health Research, 22(5), 607-618, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732311431898.

MacFarlane, A., Clerkin, P., Murray, E., Heaney, D.J., Wakeling, M., Pesola, U.M., Waterworth, E.L., Larsen, F., Makiniemi, M. and Winblad, I. (2011) 'The e-health implementation toolkit: Qualitative evaluation across four European countries', Implementation Science, 6(1), 1, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-122.

May, C.R., Finch, T., Ballini, L., MacFarlane, A., Mair, F., Murray, E., Treweek, S. and Rapley, T. (2011) ''Evaluating complex interventions and health technologies using normalization process theory: development of a simplified approach and web-enabled toolkit'', BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), 245, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-245.

Pieper, H.O., Clerkin, P. and MacFarlane, A. (2011) 'The impact of direct provision accommodation for asylum seekers on organisation and delivery of local primary care and social care services: A case study', BMC Family Practice, 12(12), 32, available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-12-32.