The latest CaHRU and LIH Improvement Science and Research Methods seminar was given on April 10th 2019 by Dr Julie Pattinson, research assistant in CaHRU.
Julie’s talk, entitled ‘Exploring primary care nurse-administered Sleep Restriction Therapy: process evaluation in a complex intervention trial’, focused on the process evaluation of a complex intervention trial aiming to improve patient outcomes for people with insomnia by using sleep restriction therapy delivered by primary care nurses. CaHRU are leading the process evaluation in a major RCT of sleep restriction therapy led by the University of Oxford and funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme.
Julie started her talk by explaining the aims of the study and of the process evaluation specifically, as well as what a 
process evaluation entailed. Julie also described the methodology and methods employed, focusing on the main areas of interest of the process evaluation, such as investigating the implementation process, the contextual factors that affect implementation, the mechanisms of impact of the intervention, and the specific outcomes of the trial. The talk was followed by a short Q&A session.
The seminar was very well received and provided an excellent opportunity for the attendees to become better acquainted with process evaluations of complex intervention trials. The next Improvement Science and Research Methods seminar will be presented on the 5th June 2019 by Professor Colin Espie of Oxford University on the topic of digital therapies for insomnia.
By Despina Laparidou