Fiona Runacres

Dr Fiona Runacres is a palliative medicine specialist and Head of Unit, Supportive & Palliative Care at Monash Health. She has clinical experience providing palliative care in hospital, community and clinic settings, and also holds a clinical appointment at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem providing Neuropalliative care. Fiona co-chairs the ANZSPM Neuropalliative care Special Interest Group and has research interests in models of palliative care delivery as well as palliative care needs for patients with non-malignant diseases. Fiona is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University, and contributes to undergraduate and post-graduate teaching and research supervision.

Publications

Recent publications

• Shilling C, Bailey C, Merollini K, Giles A, Platts C, Currow D, Button E, Runacres F, Crawford G, Merlo G, Yoong J, Philip J, Tieman J, Agar M, Yates P, Hudson P, Sundararajan V, Carter H & McCaffrey N, ‘Towards a comprehensive research agenda: exploring the health economics of palliative care in Australia’ BMC Palliative Care (in press)
• Zhai J, Mooney C, Hamilton O, Vesty G, Millar R, Runacres F, Dellit M & de Courten B, 2025 Embedding a palliative care nurse consultant within a general medicine ward: a prospective exploratory study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, doi: 10.1111/jocn.70088.
• Runacres F, Reeves S, Jeyakumar H, George P & Song J (2024) Management of malignant pleural effusions and drainage care: a hospital in the home and palliative care service, Internal Medicine Journal, DOI: 10.1111/imj.16579
• Xiang S, Hudson J, Parker C, Runacres F & Poon P (2024) Patient and caregiver satisfaction of a palliative care chronic diseases clinic during COVID lockdowns, Chronic Illness, DOI: 10.1177/1742395324352757

First author

• Runacres F, Mathers S, Lee SCM, Hearn R, Gregory S, Bear N & Aoun S (2023) MND: a point prevalence study of symptom prevalence, severity and palliative care needs, Palliative Medicine 37 (4), DOI:10.1177/02692163231191545
• Runacres F, Steele P, Hudson J, Bills M & Poon P (2021) We couldn’t have managed without your team: a collaborative palliative care response to the COVID-19 pandemic in residential aged care, Australasian Journal on Ageing, 41(10229), DOI: 10.1111/ajag.13013
• Runacres F, Poon P, King S, Lustig J, Ugalde A (2021) Examining the role of specialist palliative care in geriatric care to inform collaborations: a survey on the knowledge, practice and attitudes of Geriatricians in providing palliative care, Age and Ageing, 50(5).
• Runacres F, Hearn R, Howe J & Mathers S (2020) “Elective withdrawal of non-invasive ventilation in motor neurone disease: a neuropalliative care perspective”, BMJ supportive & palliative care, 12 (4), DOI: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2020-002383.
• Runacres FI, William L, Ingram A, Franco M, Yoong J & Poon P (2017) ‘Tuberculosis at the end of life’, European Journal of Palliative Care, vol 24, No 1, p. 7-10.
• Runacres, FI, Gregory H & Ugalde A (2017) ‘The horse has bolted I suspect: a qualitative study of clinicians’ attitudes and perceptions regarding palliative rehabilitation’, Palliative Medicine, vol 31 (7), pp. 642-650.
• Runacres, FI, Gregory, H & Ugalde, A (2015) ‘Restorative Care for Palliative Care Patients: a retrospective clinical audit of outcomes for patients admitted to an inpatient palliative care unit’, BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, Vol 6, pp. 97-100.
• Runacres, FI (2014) ‘Six weeks in Soweto: an Australian experience of palliative medicine in South Africa’, Journal of Palliative Medicine, Vol 17, No. 8. p. 969-70.

Book chapter

• Yoong J & Runacres F. ‘Trajectory of performance status and symptom scores for patients with cancer during the last six months of life’. In: Hui D, Reddy A & Bruera E, eds. 50 Studies Every Palliative Care Doctor Should Know. 1st ed. New York. Oxford University Press. 2018. pp. 51-56.