Tag: primary care

Experience: Attending an academic conference as a public contributor

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What’s it like attending an academic conference when you’re not an academic but are involved in research?

In this blog, Karen Sargent and Jane Sprackman, both Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) contributors on The AFRI-c Study (which is investigating the use of air filters to prevent respiratory infections including COVID-19 in older people’s care homes), share their reflections on attending the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Annual Scientific Meeting on 8-9 July 2025 hosted by Cardiff University.

How and why did you come to attend the conference?

Karen: We were advised by the study team that there was funding for us to attend a conference. I was particularly motivated to go to the SAPC conference as AFRI-c was being presented, as well as another study, the CHiP Study (Care of Housebound Patients in Primary Care), which I have been involved with as a … Read more

The importance of patient and public involvement and engagement in research – a PhD researcher’s journey of discovery

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By Anna Pathmanathan, PhD student, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Hello, my name is Anna Pathmanathan and I am a Third year PhD researcher at the University of Bristol. I am part of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) team and I’m investigating health differences between different ethnic groups, relating to antibiotic resistance and respiratory health concerns.

I am currently conducting big data analysis of healthcare records and interviewing health care practitioners and patients, as part of my work.

What did you know and how did you feel about patient and public involvement and engagement when you started your PhD?

Before starting my PhD, I had no experience of engaging or involving the public in research. I had very little research experience at all, so it was all new to me.

When I realised I needed to involve the public in my … Read more

Learning from each other: Insights from a public co-applicant collaboration in primary care research

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Dr Charlotte ArcherIn this blog, Louise Ting and Charlotte Archer share their reflections on working together as a public co-applicant and principal investigator on a research study looking at the benefits and challenges of remote consulting for anxiety and depression in primary care. A public co-applicant is an individual with lived experience of the condition being researched who is involved in the development of a research funding application. If the research is funded, they also have some responsibility as part of the team for the management and/or delivery of the study.

The study that Louise and Charlotte delivered together involved interviewing 21 patients and 20 practitioners (GPs, nurses, pharmacists) from GP practices in Bristol and the surrounding area. The aim was to understand when alternative platforms for consultations, such as telephone calls, are acceptable, effective and preferable to in-person appointments for people seeking support with anxiety and depression. You can read about … Read more

Life-changing – how taking part in research helped me lose weight and enjoy life more

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Fred
Francis

 

 

 

 

 

Fred and Francis took part in the Game of Stones study, a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of text messaging, with and without financial incentives, in helping men with obesity lose weight.

The study found that men who received text messages and a financial incentive of up to £400, if they met specific weight loss targets over a 12-month period, lost significantly more weight compared to the other two groups: men who received text messages only; and men who were put on a waiting list to receive text messages after 12 months.

To celebrate taking part in research as part of the NIHR Be Part of Research campaign, and to encourage others to do so, Fred and Francis share their stories about why they took part in the study and the impact it has had … Read more

How to get the most out of conferences and meetings: reflections from an early career GP Academic

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By Dr Mavin Kashyap, Academic Clinical Fellow, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Attending conferences and professional meetings can feel both exciting and overwhelming—especially in the early stages of an academic career. As an early career researcher, I’ve come to see these events as unique opportunities for professional growth, connection, and inspiration. Having attended three conferences and a meeting in the space of three weeks, I’ve learnt some lessons that I’d like to share in the hope that it helps others make their conference attendances purposeful.

Interdisciplinary conferences

Firstly, I attended the South West Public Health Scientific Conference as part of my Public Health Scholarship with North Somerset Council Public Health team. Here I could focus on soaking up the atmosphere and appreciating the varied insights across public health practice from vastly different professional backgrounds.

It was encouraging to see senior leaders in attendance … Read more

From Bristol to Milan: A PhD journey through AI, ultrasound & espresso

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by Kerstin Nothnagel, Postgraduate researcher and PhD student, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Montage of photos of Kerstin's time at the Human Technopole, Milan.

I’m a doctoral researcher in the second year of my PhD at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, focusing on something that feels very timely—and occasionally, just a bit sci-fi: how artificial intelligence can change the way we diagnose and treat illness.

My research lives in the real-world space of primary care, where many diagnostic gaps still exist. One of the things I’m investigating is whether AI-guided ultrasound can support GPs and nurses in diagnosing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) right at the clinic—or even in patients’ homes—without requiring specialist ultrasound skills.

With step-by-step AI guidance and image uploads to a cloud dashboard for remote specialist input, we could speed up diagnosis, reduce complications like pulmonary embolism, and skip the often long and stressful wait for hospital-based imaging.

Sounds promising, … Read more

The importance of an inclusive study design – the HepCAPP Study

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Dr Kirsty Roberts

 

 

by Dr Kirsty Roberts, Senior Lecturer in Trials Methodology and Deputy Research Director EDI, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

Background

HepCAPP (Hepatitis C Case-finding in Primary Care Pilot) was a pilot oral swab Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) screening study which was funded by NHS England in 2019 and completed in 2023. The study invited over 98,000 people aged 40-64 registered at selected GP practices to take part. 12,216 (12.4%) consented and returned their sample to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for testing.

The study participants found the approach to testing acceptable and the uptake was better than expected. However, the study also confirmed that those identified could have been found through lower-cost targeted screening. Therefore, we recommended that oral swab HCV screening shouldn’t be rolled out in the NHS.

Were there any groups of people or communities under-represented?

The study found … Read more

What was it like attending the RCGP Annual Conference as an early career GP academic?

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Dr Molly Dineen

 

 

by Dr Molly Dineen, ST2 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

I was so pleased to receive a bursary from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Severn Faculty, which enabled me to attend this year’s RCGP Annual Conference in Liverpool. I am an ST2 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, and this was my first RCGP Annual Conference, as well as my first time in Liverpool!

Attending the conference was an incredible experience. I have created a short montage of my trip so that, if you haven’t been before, you can get a real taster of what it was like.

I would summarise my experience with the word ‘diversity’ and hopefully you get a sense of that from the video – diversity of experiences, diversity of sessions, diversity of people, and diversity of our profession.

There … Read more

Why do GPs prescribe benzodiazepines in young adults with anxiety?

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Dr Charlotte Archer

 

 

 

By Dr Charlotte Archer, Research Fellow in Primary Care Mental Health, Centre for Academic Mental Health and Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

Why did we do the research?

Benzodiazepines like Valium can be used to help manage the symptoms of anxiety. Research has found that the number of new prescriptions of benzodiazepines for patients with anxiety decreased between 2003 and 2018. It is likely that this is because there are some concerns in the medical community about prescribing benzodiazepines, such as dependency. However, although numbers have declined overall, rates of prescribing actually increased in young adults (those aged 18-34) from 2008 onwards.

Further, the clinical guidelines for the management of anxiety state benzodiazepines should only be used on a short-terms basis, around two to four weeks. Despite this, in 2017, just under half of the prescriptions for benzodiazepines were issued for … Read more

Co-production, equality, diversity & inclusion at the NIHR School for Primary Care Research Trainee Event 2024

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Kirsten Nothnagel

 

 

 

by Kerstin Nothnagel, Postgraduate researcher and PhD student, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

This month, I had the privilege of attending the National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) Trainee event in Manchester, where I connected and collaborated with fellow SPCR researchers. The event was more than just an academic gathering—it was an inspiring opportunity to share insights and reflect on our work as a community.

A highlight of the event was the Co-Production, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (CEDI) session, led by Patrick Nyikavaranda. This session was particularly significant for a few reasons. The purpose was to dive deep into understanding how our diverse experiences and backgrounds shape our research, with the aim of fostering a more inclusive research environment. In today’s globalized world, belonging is a crucial element. As researchers, the … Read more