Search results
A voice for Older Londoners in their Doctor's Surgery. (Research for Age Concern London)
Using an action research approach six GP practices worked with the researcher. Five successfully initiated meetings with older patients. Interviews with patients, practice staff and GP's reflected issues that arose regarding recruitment, running meetings, alongside policy issues about age discrimination and bringing about change.
Author: Barbara Sheppard
Email: basheppard@aol.com
A web based decision support system for mental health risk screening.
Interviews and computer based activities to elicit expertise about how multidisciplinary mental-health practitioners make mental-health risk assessments.
Author: Christopher Buckingham - Aston University Computer Science
Tel: 0121 204 3450. Email: c.d.buckingham@aston.ac.uk
Website: www.galassify.org
Absorbent products for urinary/faecal incontinence. A comparative evaluation of key product groups.
This project is divided into three main modules. Module 1 will evaluate the main designs of absorbent products for older people in nursing/residential homes. Module 2 will evaluate the main designs of absorbent products for moderate/heavy incontinence in community -dwelling people. Module 3 will evaluate the main designs of absorbent products for women with light incontinence.
Author: Mandy Fader - University College London Continence Technology Group
Tel: 020 7288 3128. Email: m.fader@ucl.ac.uk
Absorbent products for urinary/faecal incontinences: a comparative evaluation of key product groups.
(i) To compare the performance and cost-effectiveness of the key absorbent product categories for the containment of urinary and/or faecal incontinence. Products for moderate/heavy incontinence: Module 1 The main groups of disposable designs: standard disposable inserts, 'superior' inserts, diapers, pull-up pads (i.e. 4 product subgroups); when used by individuals and carers in residential settings. Module 2 The main groups of disposable and reusable designs: standard disposable inserts, 'superior' disposable inserts, disposable diapers, disposable pull-up pads and reusable diapers (i.e. 5 product subgroups); when used by individuals living in the community. Products for light incontinence Module 3- The main groups of disposable and reusable designs: standard disposable inserts, 'superior' disposable inserts, reusable pants with integral pad and reusable inserts (i.e. 4 product subgroups); when used by individuals living in the community. (ii) To develop an instrument to measure quality of life for people using absorbent products. Methodology Description: Design: Two centre study (UCL and Southampton). Modules 1-3 randomised crossover design. Module 4 Instrument development. Setting: Nursing/residential homes and community dwellings.
Author: Mandy Fader - University College London/Southampton University
Tel: 020 7288 3128. Email: m.fader@ucl.ac.uk
Access to Information
Pan European Questionnaire of 786 HIV and Hepatitis C Patient Groups.
Author: Terry White - European Coalition Positive People
Tel: 0207 450 6025. Email: twhite@ecpp.co.uk
Website: http://www.ecpp.co.uk
Access to maternity information and support
Focus groups were used to shape the postal questionnaire sent UK wide to 2000 pregnant women and 2300 partners of pregnant women. Follow up survey sent 3-5 months after babies born. Also did surveys with users of NCT antenatal classes (men and women before and after child was born)
Author: Debbie Singh - National Childbirth Trust
Tel: 0208 992 2616. Email: singh_debbie@hotmail.com
Accessing diabetes services for black and minority ethic communities
Interviews were conducted with members of black and minority ethnic communities to assess how valuable projects were in contributing to health improvement in the community.
Author: Ruth Hunter - Health R&D North West
Action research to support the Complementary Health in Partnership (CHIPS) integrated complementary health service.
Setting: 2 primary care practices in inner city New Deal area, where an integrated complementary health service is provided. Project in 2 cycles: 1. Interview and focus groups of service users, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapists and mainstream health professionals. 2. Data analysed by contract researcher and service user group working together, with findings going back to co-inquiry groups drawn from original interviewees. Final report with recommendations written by contract researcher and service user group.
Author: James Nichol - Complementary Health in Partnership
An analysis of conflict and mental health in N.Ireland.
The project has undertaken to prove that there are links between the conflict and levels of mental ill health in areas affected by high Security Force activity and resulting violence.
Author: Gerard Finnegan - S.T.E.E.R. Mental Health Organisation
Tel: 02871 279995. Email: steermentalhealth@btinternet.com
An evaluation of the efficacy of three fragility risk assessment tools in care home residents
Fragility fractures (osteoporotic fractures) are common in the elderly and with the ageing population, this is set to increase. Fragility fractures are complicated by high death rate, accompaning illnesses such as chest infection, blood clots, low quality of life (to mention a few) and financial cost. Therefore, methods aimed at prevention are desirable. Type of study: observational open cohort feasibility (pilot) study. Setting: some care homes in Boston. Method: simple random selection of some care homes in Boston. Sample size: 200. Inclusion citeria: any care home resident who is willing to give informed written consent; assent for next of kin/legal representative for residents who are cognitively impaired and cannot give informed consent. Exclusion criteria: any care home resident who is at imminent risk of dying, for example those on end of life pathway and residents who do not understand English language and for whom interpreters cannot be found. Measurements: weight, ulna length (the measurement from the wrist to the elbow). Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) - the time that it takes for a person to walk from a chair a distance of 3 metres, turn around and sit down. Follow-up: 12 months following recruitment. Primary outcome measure: falls, fragility fractures, both. Statistical analysis: c-statistics (a measure of how good the tool is at predicting the outcomes above). Fragility tools being assessed: FRAX (World Health Organisation instrument for predicting fragility fractures), QFractureScores (fragility risk instrument developed in UK) and Garvan nomogram (fragility risk instrument developed in Australia). These are the three commonest tools in use. Ethics: Application for peer review will shortly be submitted to the Keele University following which I shall apply to the Integrated Research Application System (IRAS) for approval.
Author: Felix Ihama - United Lincolnshire NHS Trust
Tel: 01205 364 01. Email: felix.ihama@ulh.nhs.uk
