Suzanne Mukherjee

Suzanne is a health and social care researcher, with skills in both qualitative and quantitative methods, and a particular interest in making research participation accessible to all. She first joined SPRU in 1996 to investigate the experiences and needs of children and young people living with a chronic illness or disability. Since then the remit of her work has widened to include all age groups, the well-being of health and social care practitioners, complex service evaluations, and the development of psychometric measures for use in research and practice. Her current research interests are: the healthcare experiences of children and young people with life-limiting conditions; the lived experiences and support needs of autistic people and their families across the lifespan; and the prevention of stress and burnout in healthcare staff. 

Qualifications

• PhD (Health Sciences), University of York
• MSc (Child Development), Institute of Education, University of London
• BSc (Hons) (Psychology), Newcastle Upon Tyne Polytechnic

Current / recently completed research

Measuring the healthcare experiences of children and young people with a life-threatening or shortening conditions, and their parentsJune 2020 to December 2024

Three key things affect the quality of healthcare: its safety, whether it achieves the outcomes patients and the healthcare team want, and patients’ (and families) experiences of care. This programme of work is developing robust ways to capture and measure how children with a life-threatening/life-shortening condition, and their parents, experience care.

Evaluating the Impacts of Implementing a Digital Care Management Software System in HomecareApril - December 2023

This research is evaluating the impacts of implementing a digital care management software system across a homecare provider organisation.

Psychoeducation programmes following an autism diagnosis: evaluating and informing the roll-out of a programme co-designed and co-delivered by autism professionals and autistic adults1st February – 31st December 2023

This highly novel piece of work is tracking the regional roll-out of an autism psychoeducation programme co-designed and delivered by autistic adults (often referred to as peer mentors or experts by experience) and autism professionals. Key aims are to identify good practice around recruiting, training and supporting peer mentors, and how best to support effective co-design and co-delivery of autism psychoeducation programmes.

Developing guidance on providing psychoeducation after an autism diagnosis1 March 2021 - 31 June 2021

This is a short piece of work commissioned by NHS England arising directly from previous research we have done on specialist provision for autistic adults (the SHAPE project). This identified the importance of high quality, extended psychoeducation following a diagnosis of autism. In this new project we are working with expert groups to develop guidance on providing group-delivered, psychoeducation for autistic adults.

Supporting the complete care of children and young people with life-threatening or life-shortening conditions, and their familiesAugust 2020 - September 2022

The aim of this study is to gather evidence the NHS and children's hospices can use to guide how they meet the pastoral, spiritual and religious needs of children and young people living with a life-threatening or life-shortening condition, and their families.

Developing a Patient-Reported Experience Measure for use in children's palliative care settingsJune 2020 - December 2021

This project will develop a Patient-Reported Experience Measure (PREM) for use in children's palliative care settings.

Parents' stories of their children's lives: a follow-on study of QUEST parentsMay 2019 - March 2021

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors that influence the mental health and well-being of teenagers on the autism spectrum.

The SHAPE project: mapping and evaluating Specialist Autism Team service modelsSeptember 2014 - March 2019

This project is evaluating Specialist Autism Teams, and investigating their role in supporting autism-specialist practice in mainstream services.