Tag Archives: ambulance

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Dr Stephanie Armstrong joins CAHRU’s NEAT project team

Dr Stephanie Armstrong joined CaHRU this month to work on the Wellcome Trust funded ‘Network exploring Ethics in Ambulance Trials (NEAT)’ project. She says, “I come to Community and Health Research Unit from a rather diverse background having begun my academic life in the field of Zoology. I completed a PhD in Zoology from Trinity College, Stephanie ArmstrongDublin in 2006, where my work focussed on the nutrition and behaviour of large captive herbivores and in particular zebra.

In 2004 I joined Sparsholt College, Hampshire as a lecturer in the Equine Studies section and worked my way up to Head of Department for Animal Management Higher Education. This career path however, took me away from hands on research and, after working for Sparsholt College for 7 years, I realised that I needed a change of direction. With that in mind I undertook an MSc in Forensic Anthropology at the University of Lincoln, reigniting my passion for research. I also hold degrees in Equine Studies and Herbal Medicine.

As a result I have extensive experience in a wide range of research both quantitative and qualitative ranging from novel animal behaviour studies to in-depth systematic reviews. My research interests lie within the areas of ethics and human rights.” The NEAT project is CaHRU’s first Wellcome Trust grant, led by Prof Siriwardena in collaboration with Dr Adele Langlois from the School of Social and Political Sciences.

By Stephanie Armstrong

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CaHRU hosts second East Midlands Research into Ageing Network regional seminar at University of Lincoln

Emran-png-250The Community and Health Research Unit, as part of the work of the centre’s Healthier Aging programme of research, recently hosted the second East Midlands Research into Ageing Network (EMRAN) seminar that took place at the University of Lincoln on 25 November 2015 and which focused on the care of older people in the community. The seminar started with a brief presentation by Professor John Gladman and Chris Craig on EMRAN’s purpose to facilitate collaborative applied research into ageing and older people research across the East Midlands and a brief update on EMRAN’s progress, including recent publications and projects which are being developed thanks to EMRAN’s intervention.

jo1The first part of the seminar included four ‘Elevator Pitches’. Dr Carlos Rodriguez Pascual (University of Lincoln; Lincoln County Hospital) presented his project on frailty and cardiovascular disease, exploring how a combination of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) score and frailty is a predictor of cardiovascular disease in an older person. The second pitch, presented by Dr Jo Middlemass (CaHRU, University of Lincoln), outlined findings from the ‘CArers of people with Dementia: Empowerment and Efficacy via Education’ (CAD: E3) project that aims to improve carer and patient well-being by offering carers of people with dementia a multicomponent intervention (focusing on education and skill-building). The third pitch, presented by Dr Fiona Marshall (University of Nottingham), looked at a project aimed at creating more dementia friendly areas, by gathering local information (through geo-spatial mapping) of what health, social, religious groups, community and voluntary services (amongst others) there are for older people living in the Peak District of Derbyshire. Finally, Dr Gill Garden (United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust) presented the very successful Bromhead Care Home service, which involved training care home staff so they can more confidently and effectively deliver care in care homes and reduce admissions to hospitals.

EMAS - PTS 7Professor Niro Siriwardena (Director of CaHRU, University of Lincoln) delivered the second part of the seminar, presenting the work of CaHRU and ideas for developing new projects involving ambulance services: ‘Pathways for Older People from Ambulance Services to Safe Community Care’. The aim of the presentation was to show that paramedics, apart from safely transporting patients, can also offer important treatment and refer patients who don’t require hospitalisation to community services that are often more adequately equipped to care or support them. After the successful SAFER-2 trial (Support and Assessment for Fall and Emergency Referrals), exploring how ambulance staff could assess and divert older people who had suffered a fall to appropriate community-based services, Prof Siriwardena and his colleagues at the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) are currently interested in exploring other conditions, such as hypoglycaemia, epilepsy and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) which may also be amenable to community pathways.

After a quick recess for some much needed tea and coffee, the attendees split into small groups to discuss the projects presented earlier, focusing on possible challenges and solutions to the design and conduct of each study, and consider ideas for further research and exciting collaborations. The seminar came to a close with Chris Craig and Prof John Gladman thanking everyone for their participation and with a promise for more similar events and innovative seminars.

Despina Laparidou

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CaHRU and School of Social and Political Science win Wellcome Trust funding for Network exploring Ethics of Ambulance Trials

Adele2Professor Niro Siriwardena from CaHRU and Dr Adele Langlois from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Lincoln have been awarded a seed award in humanities and social science from the Wellcome Trust to develop a Network exploring the Ethics of Ambulance Trials (NEAT). Dr Langlois is a social scientist who is an expert in biomedical ethics and governance. The network also includes leading prehospital researchers: Profs Philip Bath (Nottingham University), Jonathan Benger (University of West of England), Gavin Perkins (Warwick), Tom Quinn (University of Surrey), Helen Snooks (Swansea University) and Drs Chris Price (Newcastle University) and Sarah Voss (University of West of England).

NRandomised controlled trials in ambulance settings are a relatively recent but growing area of research which poses particular challenges, including urgency of conditions and treatment, and difficulties with recruitment, randomisation and informed consent where time may be limited or patient capacity impaired. NEAT will involve interviews with researchers, health professionals and patients involved in ambulance trials together with the legal and systematic reviews and networking activities bringing together national experts in the ethical issues and design of prehospital clinical trials.

NThe team seek to raise awareness among researchers, practitioners, ethics committees and the public of developments in the ethics and conduct of ambulance trials and provide the basis for much needed research to inform recommendations for best ethical practice in future trials. Prof Siriwardena and Dr Langlois are currently recruiting a research assistant to join them to work on the study in 2016.

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East Midlands Universities Association (EMUA) Student Conference 2015: Impact & Collaboration

fionaOn Thursday 3rd September 2015 I was fortunate enough to attend the EMUA Student Conference hosted by The Graduate School at the University of Lincoln. The annual conference provides an excellent opportunity for postgraduate students across the region to network and present their research to their peers in a supportive, inquisitive and encouraging environment.

There was representation from the Universities of Lincoln, Loughborough, Leicester, Derby, Nottingham and De Montfort University, Leicester. The multi-disciplinary nature of the conference meant that students were able to learn about research that could be similar to their own work in terms of subject but also could be completely different in topic and methodology.

The morning began with a fascinating key note from Dr Helen Zulch from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln. Dr Zulch talked about ‘scholarship and the many faces of impact’ and drew upon her own research expertise in veterinary behavioural medicine as an example of how academic research can impact on both society and individuals. One of the key messages of the presentation was that ‘whatever our motivation, the knowledge and experience that we gain through our research has the potential to impact on others’. Dr Zulch highlighted the fact that even if our research legacy is simply that we instilled an interest and motivation in others to pursue a research career then this is something to be proud of.

IMAG0510Throughout the day there were parallel sessions of oral presentations given by the student delegates. I attended some really interesting talks around subjects as diverse as ‘The gay tree of life: an interdisciplinary approach to homosexuality research’ to ‘Stakeholder perspectives of collaborative working and street works management’. I gave a presentation entitled: ‘Engaging with patients and NHS staff to develop a Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) for use in NHS ambulance services’. The theme of the conference ‘impact and collaboration’ enabled me to concentrate on an element of the research process that I hadn’t previously considered in much detail. The opportunity to focus in on this within my presentation will be beneficial during those crucial thesis writing days!

The conference concluded with four finalists (at university level) of the three minute thesis competition presenting to the whole delegation. The aim of the competition is for students to effectively explain their research in ‘language appropriate to a non-specialist audience’. It draws upon their communication skills and ability to ‘cut to the chase’. The presentations were outstanding and the way in which the students drew the audience in with their engagement skills was fantastic.

Overall, I came away from the conference having made several new contacts, gained renewed confidence in my work and an optimistic view of PhD life in the East Midlands. The Graduate School here at the University of Lincoln did a great job of organising the day and ensuring that everything ran smoothly so thank you graduate school! I look forward to next year’s conference…

Fiona Togher

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Study on service user involvement in a prehospital clinical trial of falls published in Trials

EMAS - PTS 2_750One of the few studies of service user involvement in a clinical trials was published this month in the journal Trials: ‘Involving older people in a multi-centre randomised trial of a complex intervention in pre-hospital emergency care: implementation of a collaborative model‘. The study was part of the SAFER2 (Support and Assessment for Fall Emergency Referrals) trial led by the University of Swansea with Ambulance Services in the East Midlands, London and Wales and involving CaHRU at the University of Lincoln. The study was led by Bridie Evans and the trial lead was Prof Helen Snooks, both from Swansea University.

EMAS - A&E 5The study describes how it was planned for service users to be involved in the trial and how involvement actually occurred. The study team planned for service users to be involved at strategic level, at each study site and locally and this did take place. For example at strategic level, service users were involved in the trial management, EMAS - PTS 7trial steering, and data monitoring and ethics committees In addition, service users were also involved in study writing days and task and finish groups. Service users were also involved at study sites. Finally, service user reference groups were consulted at various points during the study.

Overall, the study showed how service users could be integrated into the activities of a clinical trial, the processes involved and facilitators and barriers to involvement at various levels.