XClose

Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care

Home
Menu

Research Streams

Our research is divided into three streams:

Intervention Development and Evaluation 

We develop and evaluate interventions for the public and patients. 

Type 2 Diabetes - We have developed and evaluated an online programme, called HeLP Diabetes, to improve self-management in diabetes. We showed that people with diabetes who used the programme improved their diabetes control, and that the programme could be used by people from all walks of life, including those who had not used computers before. This has been taken over by NHS England for national rollout – a world first, which will help the 4 million people living with Type 2 Diabetes in England. 

•    HeLP Diabetes

This is a short Podcase that talks about the development and implementation of an online programme to improve self- management in diabetes - the Healthy Living for People with Type 2 Diabetes project. The programme was ultimately adopted by NHS England and rolled out across England.

UCLB Episode 9.wav

 

Oesophageal Cancer - We are developing a smart phone app to support oesophageal cancer patients and computer software to support cancer nurses. Our goal is to adapt this for use across multiple cancers, bringing help and support to patients with cancer across England. 

•    Swallow

Sexual Health - Our sexual health team develop and evaluate online interventions to improve sexual health. 

Past Projects:

Digital Health Implementation

We have an interest in implementation of eHealth and new technology in health care systems. This stream includes work on the Normalisation Process Theory (NPM peer learning group) and led to the development of the eHealth Implementation Toolkit as part of an SDO-funded grant (EH 94).

Type 2 Diabetes - We have worked to implement the HeLP Diabetes online management system. RSM and NHS England are now working on a national roll-out programme.

The NIHR Policy Research Programme is evaluating the outcomes of the implementation of HeLP Diabetes in the self-management of type 2 diabetes. 

Contraception Choices interactive intervention 

The Contracpetion Choices website attracts >15,000 visitors a month. We have developed a package of resources to promote uptake of the website in clinic settings: http://www.contraceptionchoices.org/resources-clinicians 

Interactions

This work stream focuses on understanding interactions between health care professionals and patients. This stream is led by Fiona Stevenson and uses qualitative research methods, specifically thematic analysis and conversation analysis to better understand interactions between clinicians and patients and the likely impact of eHealth interventions.

Internet use in primary care - the Harnessing Resources from the Internet (HaRI) study has examined how internet use affects the doctor-patient relationship. The dataset from the HaRI study has been used to support studies in PCPH and other Universities, including Oxford University, Southampton University and Macquarie University, Sydney.

Type 2 Diabetes - Conversations about self-management and diabetes (CASMAD) study is looking at how issues of diabetes self-management and diabetes education are raised and responded to in GP consultations.