Mark T Marston, PhD

Mark T Marston, PhD

he/him

Healthcare | Research | Enthusiast
Paediatrics | Family-Centred Care

Publications

Improving everyday clinical practice and quality of care requires change at every level: with patients, families and healthcare professionals at the bedside, within teams and organisations, and across the wider healthcare system. This is best achieved through two complementary pillars: well-structured, purposeful education that prepares professionals to adopt new perspectives, and solid, meaningful research necessary to evidence based practice. My publications reflect this commitment, from my doctoral work on family-centred care in paediatric intensive care to national and international contributions.

NEW

Title page of Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in paediatric critical care—The OCTO-Plus intervention Title page of Faisabilité d'une consultation familiale aux soins intensifs et intermédiaires de pédiatrie - Nouveaux modèles de soins Title page of The OCTO-Plus intervention to support families of chronically critically ill children in paediatric critical care: A pilot study Title page of Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in PICU - OCTO-Plus Intervention Title page of Prevalence and Patient-Level Correlates of Intentional Non-Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication After Heart-Transplantation - Findings From the International BRIGHT Study

Journal articles

Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in paediatric critical care—The OCTO-Plus intervention

Published in Australian Critical Care, 2026

Designing a co-developed multicomponent intervention to support families of CCI children hospitalised in PCC. OCTO-Plus’ 3 components: (1) therapeutic family consultations, (2) patient and family diaries, and (3) interprofessional handovers, are supported by a practical toolbox for trained nurses and physicians. Therapeutic consultations are delivered from day 8, repeated weekly until discharge, and one month post-discharge, while diaries and handovers are embedded within existing communication pathways. By integrating existing PCC resources and routines, OCTO-Plus provides an implementation-ready approach to strengthen family functioning, communication, and continuity of care for families of critically ill children.

Recommended citation: Marston, M., Perez, MH., & Ramelet, AS. (2026). Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in paediatric critical care—The OCTO-Plus intervention. Australian Critical Care, 39(6). https://doi.org/110.1016/j.aucc.2026.101692.
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The OCTO-Plus intervention to support families of chronically critically ill children in paediatric critical care: A pilot study

Published in Nursing in Critical Care, 2026

To assess the feasibility of a co-developed complex multi-component family-centred intervention to support families of CCI children on the PCC ward before effectiveness testing in a future clinical trial. The intervention consisted of structured family consultations delivered by trained healthcare professionals, supported by interprofessional handovers. This study demonstrates the clinical feasibility of a multi-component family-centred intervention for parents of children hospitalised in paediatric critical care. Findings suggest a protective effect on parental mental health and improved family functioning, supporting progression to a full-scale effectiveness trial.

Recommended citation: Marston, M., Perez, MH., & Ramelet, AS. (2026). The OCTO-Plus intervention to support families of chronically critically ill children in paediatric critical care: A pilot study. Nursing in Critical Care, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/nicc.70294.
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Prevalence and Patient-Level Correlates of Intentional Non-Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication After Heart-Transplantation - Findings From the International BRIGHT Study

Published in Transplant International, 2023

Aims investigated: (1) the prevalence and international variability of INA, (2) patient-level correlates of INA, and (3) relation of INA with clinical outcomes in a secondary analysis of data from the BRIGHT study. Compared to other single-center studies, this sample’s INA prevalence was low. More than accessibility or financial concerns, our analyses identified patient-level barriers as INA drivers. Addressing patients’ IS-related barriers, should decrease INA.

Recommended citation: Marston, M. T., Berben, L., Dobbels, F., Russell, C. L., & de Geest, S. (2023). Prevalence and Patient-Level Correlates of Intentional Non-Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication After Heart-Transplantation-Findings From the International BRIGHT Study. Transplant international : official journal of the European Society for Organ Transplantation, 36, 11308. https://doi.org/10.3389/ti.2023.11308
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Presentations and talks

Faisabilité d’une consultation familiale aux soins intensifs et intermédiaires de pédiatrie - Nouveaux modèles de soins

Published in 9th Symposium of the Allianz Pädiatrie Schweiz (VfP/APSI), 2026

Families of chronically critically ill (CCI) children in paediatric critical care face lasting psychological distress. OCTO-Plus, a co-developed intervention combining repeated family consultations and interprofessional handovers from day 8 until discharge, was tested in a single-centre pilot feasibility study. Of 55 eligible families, 19 (34.5%) were recruited. Families received a mean of 2.5 consultations; 73% of planned consultations were delivered and 47% of families received the full intervention. Parents reported clinically meaningful reductions in stress, anxiety and depression, and none met the PTSD threshold at follow-up. OCTO-Plus appears feasible in clinical practice and warrants an effectiveness trial.

Recommended citation: Marston, M. (2026, September). Faisabilité d'une consultation familiale aux soins intensifs et intermédiaires de pédiatrie - Nouveaux modèles de soins. Oral presentation at 9th Symposium of the Allianz Pädiatrie Schweiz (VfP/APSI), Bern, Schweiz.
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Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in PICU - OCTO-Plus Intervention

Published in JBI 2024 European Symposium, 2024

Families of chronically critically ill (CCI) children in paediatric critical care experience high stress, unmet needs and impaired family functioning. We co-developed OCTO-Plus through two focus groups with 27 healthcare professionals and three with 12 parents of former CCI patients. Both groups rated the intervention as feasible (7.6/10 and 7.9/10). Barriers included lack of time and limited flexibility; perceived need was a key facilitator. Stakeholders’ input led to tailoring to the local setting and simplifying the intervention into three components: family consultations, patient and family diaries, and interprofessional handovers. Co-construction improved acceptability and feasibility, and OCTO-Plus was widely supported by all stakeholders.

Recommended citation: Marston, M. (2024, April). Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronical critically ill children in paediatric critical care–The OCTO+ intervention [Oral presentation]. JBI 2024 European Symposium, HESAV, Lausanne.

Posters

Development and implementation of the OCTO-Plus training program - Engineering education

Published in 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS), 2026

This study describes the development and implementation of the training program preparing interventionists to deliver OCTO-Plus in paediatric critical care. Co-developed with partner parents and clinicians, the program combined four modalities (written documentation, asynchronous e-learning, interactive role-play sessions and one-to-one coaching at the first consultation) around four content capsules. All 11 interventionists completed the training before their first consultation, described it as comprehensive, and became markedly faster with experience. The program was feasible, acceptable and adapted to its context, and a tiered approach, from general family-centred care literacy for all staff to expert coaching, appears to be the condition for reliable delivery at scale.

Recommended citation: Marston, M., Perez, MH., & Ramelet, AS. (2026, September). Development and implementation of the OCTO-Plus training program. Poster presented at 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS), Melbourne, Australia.
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Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on a family support intervention in paediatric critical care - Feasible and valued

Published in 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS), 2026

This mixed-methods study tested the feasibility of OCTO-Plus, a multi-component family support intervention combining structured family consultations, interprofessional handovers and a family diary, from the perspective of healthcare professionals in paediatric critical care. Based on 58 surveys and two focus groups with 11 professionals, the intervention proved acceptable and relevant, with 73% of planned consultations delivered and consultation and handover times decreasing markedly with experience. Acceptability was limited by clinical workload, scheduling constraints and documentation volume, and family participation dropped after the first consultation. OCTO-Plus can be embedded in routine practice when leadership endorses it and absorbs the time it takes, and when the reference role is shared across the interprofessional team.

Recommended citation: Marston, M., Perez, MH., & Ramelet, AS. (2026, September). Development and implementation of the OCTO-Plus training program. Poster presented at 13th World Congress of the World Federation of Pediatric Intensive & Critical Care Societies (WFPICCS), Melbourne, Australia.
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YounG AsthMa E-health: The use of digital tools to support therapeutic education for children and adolescents with asthma – GAME study

Published in Congrès pédiatrie Suisse, 2026

In preparation

Recommended citation: Tapsoba, N., Di Benedetto, L., Blanchon, S., Guzman Villegas-Frei, M., Zoni, S., Ramelet, AS., Oulevey-Bachmann, A., Marston, M. T.* (2026, June 12). YounG AsthMa E-health: The use of digital tools to support therapeutic education for children and adolescents with asthma – GAME study [Conference presentation]. Congrès pédiatrie Suisse, Lausanne.

Co-development of the OCTO-Plus intervention to support families of chronical critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit

Published in Annual meeting of the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SSMI-SGI), 2023

In preparation

Recommended citation: Marston, M. T., Perez, MH., & Ramelet, AS. (2023, September 6). Co-development of the OCTO Plus intervention to support families of chronical critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit [Poster]. Annual meeting of the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine, St-Gallen.

Co-development of the OCTO-Plus intervention to support families of chronic critically ill children in PICU

Published in Annual congress of the European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC), 2023

In preparation

Recommended citation: Marston, M., Perez, M.-H. & Ramelet, AS. (2023, June 23). Co-development of an intervention to support families of chronically critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit–The OCTO-Plus intervention [Presentation de poster oral]. ESPNIC annual meeting, Athens, Greece.