Author Archives: Niroshan Siriwardena

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Lincoln Institute for Health wins team achievement award for enterprise

LIFH-logo-web2The Lincoln Institute for Health (LIH), of which the Community and Health Research Unit is a constituent group, was judged winner in the University of Lincoln team award for achievement in enterprise. Profs Nick Blagden (left) and Steve McKay (right) pictured below received the award on behalf of the LIH. The LIH is the first cross-college interdisciplinary institute at the University of Lincoln and developed through discussion between a members of the Colleges of Science and Social Sciences with support from Pro Vice Chancellors and heads of the College of Social Sciences and Science, Profs Sara Owen and Andrew Hunter and the executive including Prof Mary Stuart and Prof Ieuan Owen.

LIHaward2014750Academics realised through that through their common interest in health-related research they had a unique opportunity to develop the an Institute where researchers and clinicians could better understand the healthcare needs of patients and populations; work closely with patients, public, and health and social care partners locally, regionally and nationally to find solutions to address these needs in a way that would be more relevant; test these solutions with patients and professionals enabling them to maximise future uptake and impact of our research.

B0008077 Blood clot forming in arterial plaqueThe Institute connects research from ‘cell to community’, from researchers working on cellular mechanisms of disease, through design of new drugs and drug delivery methods, novel tests and treatments using computers and engineering, health prevention and promotion through sport and exercise, right through to developing and testing drugs and interventions in health settings in primary care, ambulance services and hospitals.

caring handsThe research groups involved are Molecular Basis of Disease (MBOD), Drug Design and Delivery (DDAD), Laboratory of Vision Engineering (LOVE), Lincoln Centre for Social Computing (LiSC), Perception and Cognition (PAC), Health Advancement Research Team (HART), Policy Studies Research Centre (PSRC), and CaHRU. Other groups are likely to join the Institute including from the College of Art, Architecture and Design. The institute has also had strong support from health service partners: United Lincolnshire Hospitals, East Midlands Ambulance Service, Lincolnshire Community Health Services, and Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trusts. The new director of the Institute, Professor Chris Bridle, will start at the university in January 2015.

 

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Care homes of the future: Prof Ala Szczepura on telecare and skill-mix innovations

alaProfessor Ala Szczepura Executive Director of the new Centre for Technology Enabled Health Research CTEHR) at Coventry University gave the final lecture of 2014 in the Community and Health Research Unit’s Improvement Science and Research Methods Seminar Series on ‘Care homes of the future: emerging evidence on the role of telecare and skill-mix innovations’. Prof Szczepura, who has a long and distinguished track record as a health services researcher, spoke to staff from the School of Health and Social Care, local NHS Trusts and CaHRU on the potential for new technology to bridge the gap between the increasing burden of comorbidity associated with ageing to enable people to age well and reduce dependency.

She described how levels of morbidity were particularly high in the half a million people resident in care homes, 60% who and have dementia and 25% with a long term condition, and how clients and staff in care homes were neglected in research and policy. She then described three studies involving in-reach nursing teams, decision support, and safer prescribing, each of which had led to some positive benefits.

[su_document url=”https://communityandhealth.dev.lincoln.ac.uk/files/2014/12/Szczepura-Lincoln-2012.pdf” responsive=”no”]Multi-morbidity, goal-oriented care, the community and equity[/su_document]

Prof Szczepura went on to describe ways forward which included introducing new systems to support the care home workforce to enhance quality of care and patient safety, enabling wider professional development of the social care workforce to perform specific clinical support tasks, facilitating partnership working with NHS since savings and benefits are often to the NHS, and the need to encourage introduction of more technology in long-term residential care settings such as expert systems for polypharmacy alerts, clinical decision-support systems and remote monitoring.

 

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CaHRU receives university team award for achievement in research 2014

CaHRUaward2014750The Community and Health Research Unit received the team award for achievement research at the University of Lincoln awards on 19 November 2014, where Despina Laparidou, Jolien Vos, Dr Jo Middlemass, Ana Godoy Caballero and Viet-Hai Phung (pictured left to right) accepted the award on behalf of CaHRU. Since the submission to the Research Excellence Framework a year ago the unit has particularly focused on developing early career researchers (ECRs), junior researchers and doctoral students, aiming to develop their research expertise, skills and outputs as future researchers and research leaders, and to increase capacity for international and world class research.

CaHRU_logotypeThis is being done through: mentorship and support for junior staff; a monthly research writing group at which all members of the team, NHS colleagues, visiting professors and East Midlands NIHR Research Design Service staff meet to review research bids and journal papers prior to submission, and where colleagues also have an opportunity to review feedback from reviewers prior to revising bids and journal papers; a six weekly implementation science and research methods seminar at which members of the CaHRU team and external academic experts present the latest ideas on methodology.

The unit also provides opportunities for junior staff to develop their skills and expertise by working with more senior members of the team and external academic experts from the rest of the EU and internationally on projects. Our efforts have led to successful grant funding for the team and increased our outputs in high quality peer reviewed journals involving ECRs and junior researchers as lead authors and co-authors.

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New study on paramedic decision making published

Decision making and safety paperA new study focusing on decision making by paramedic and specialist paramedic staff and conducted in three English National Health Service (NHS) Ambulance Service Trusts was published this month. The study, entitled ‘A qualitative study of systemic influences on paramedic decision making: care transitions and patient safety‘ published in the Journal of Health Services Research and Policy was led by Dr Rachel O’Hara from ScHARR at the University of Sheffield and included Professor Niro Siriwardena, director of CaHRU, and Debbie Shaw, visiting fellow at CaHRU, and both members of the East Midlands Ambulance Research Alliance at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

EMAS - A&E 9_750The study involved observation and interviews, analysis of digital diaries and focus groups with paramedic staff. Different types of decision were identified, ranging from the decision to convey a patient to the emergency department, use of specialist emergency pathways or the decision to treat and leave a patient at home. Systemic influences and risk factors affecting decision making included demand, performance priorities, access to care options, risk tolerance, training, communication, feedback and resources.

Pre-Hospital Emergency Quality and OutcomesThe study highlighted the complexity of paramedic decision making and system factors which could worsen risk. Decision making has been studied in other settings but rarely in the prehospital environment, and the uncertainty which paramedics have to face when making decisions needs further work. The study forms part of the Prehospital Emergencies Quality and Outcomes programme at CaHRU.

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International keynote lecture and workshop in Amsterdam on interdisciplinary primary care for occupational and physiotherapy

Soemitro Poerbidipoero and students from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Soemitro Poerbidipoero and students from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam

Prof Niro Siriwardena presented a keynote lecture and joint workshop with a leading European community occupational therapist, Marije Bolt, to begin the ‘International seminar fur students: occupational therapy, primary care and interdisciplinary work’ at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam on 20 November 2014. Both are members of the advisory board of the European Forum for Primary Care. The workshop entitled: ‘Preparing for future challenges for occupational and physio-therapies in multidisciplinary primary care’ was given at invitation from Soemitro Poerbodipoero, International Coordinator at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and students at the institution.

VProf Siriwardena’s keynote lecture outlined the future challenges for primary and community care in Europe. This included analysis of the shift from secondary to primary care in most European countries, and the critical importance of interdisciplinary working involving primary care, community nursing and allied health professions for high quality community care for people with multiple long term health and social care conditions. The talk covered the need for integrated care to address the ever changing and complex health and social care system. Finally, he spoke about the importance of quality improvement tools and techniques for maintaining and improving the healthcare system.

Marije Bolt in Amsterdam

Marije Bolt in Amsterdam

Marije Bolt entered the auditorium in dramatic fashion on a bicycle, which is how she travels around Amsterdam to visit her clients. She went on to discuss ‘primary care in action’ discussing the international perspective, focusing on challenges for primary and community care, and reflecting on examples where care coordination could be improved. Both speakers facilitated students to apply this to a discussion of a case study.