A team from the Community and Health Research Unit recently delivered four oral presentations at the Trent Regional Society for Academic Primary Care conference in Sheffield on 5 March 2013.

Dr Zahid Asghar presented research from the IPVASTIA study funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient benefit programme on “Influenza vaccination and risk of stroke: self-controlled case-series study” which showed a significant reduction in stroke risk associated with influenza vaccination.

Coral Sirdifield presented an international study involving the University of Lincoln and University of Ghent, Belgium on “General practitioners prescribing of benzodiazepines in Western Primary Care: metasynthesis of qualitative studies”. Jo Middlemass presented work from a recently completed study, Exploring social Networks to Augment Cognitive behavioural Therapy (ENACT) funded by the EPSRC, Patients’ and clinicians’ experiences and perceptions of the primary care management of insomnia: qualitative study.

Finally, Fiona Togher presented preliminary findings from a study, “What do users value about the emergency ambulance service?” funded by an NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Health Research, Prehospital Outcomes for Evidence Based Evaluation (PhOEBE).

All four members of the team gave excellent presentations and ably responded to questions. The studies involve a range of programmes of work, including studies on the link between influenza and vascular disease, primary care management of insomnia and prehospital outcome measures, led by Professor Niroshan Siriwardena. The next 2014 Trent Regional Society for Academic Primary Care conference will be held in Lincoln, the first time the University of Lincoln will be hosting the event.