Tag: Research

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

How team science is helping to detect dangerous drugs and save lives

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By Dr Jenny Scott, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

In 2019, while working at the University of Bath, I had a conversation with Professor Chris Pudney that would spark an idea that is now saving lives. We met at a research “sandpit” – an event designed to bring together researchers from different fields to explore new ideas. We started talking about the growing dangers faced by people who use drugs, especially in an unregulated and increasingly toxic drug market.

That conversation led to the formation of Team Harm Reduction – a group of scientists, clinicians, and researchers working together to tackle drug-related harm. By combining expertise in chemistry, artificial intelligence, mathematics, pharmacy, and intervention development, alongside my own experience in substance use services, we set out to create tools that could detect harmful substances quickly and accurately.

A crisis that

… Read more

Top tips for planning an interest holder engagement event

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Dr Alice Harper

 

 

by Dr Alice Harper, ST3 Academic Clinical Fellow in General Practice, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.

Engagement with individuals who hold a direct interest in your findings is an important aspect of research. This process has been known as ‘stakeholder’ engagement but academics have recently critiqued the use of this language and encouraged more inclusive alternative terms. I have chosen to use the term ‘interest holder’ here.

I was recently involved in organising a local engagement event for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded Supporting People to live wELL with multiple long-term health conditions (SPELL) study. I invited members of the public with lived experience, representatives from local and national health and care charities, healthcare professionals working in local general practices, and representatives from the local integrated care board, to spend the afternoon with the SPELL study research … Read more

International Women’s Day 2025 – Succeeding as a female academic: Q&A with Professor Katrina Turner

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Professor Katrina Turner

Katrina Turner is Professor of Primary Care Research, Head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care and Head of Section for Applied Health Research at Bristol Medical School. In this Q&A, she reflects on what it takes to succeed as a female academic and shares insights from her own personal journey to professorship at one of the world’s leading Universities.

It would be great if you could start by saying a bit about what you do and what attracted you to working in academia.

I’m a primary care scientist with expertise in qualitative research methods. I’ve got particular expertise in intervention development and integrating qualitative studies within randomised controlled trials to improve their design and delivery, and to aid the interpretation of trial findings. Most of my research has been in the area of primary care mental health.

I never really had a plan to become an academic. … 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

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

Why do GPs prescribe beta-blockers for people with anxiety disorders?

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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?

Research has shown that more people are now being prescribed beta-blockers, such as propranolol, by their GP for anxiety. This increase in prescriptions is particularly noticeable in young adults aged 18 to 34. Although beta-blockers can be used for anxiety, they are not recommended in clinical guidelines for the management of anxiety. It is possible that they are not recommended because, so far, the evidence is not clear for whether they work well in treating anxiety.

In addition, a recent report suggests that prescribing beta-blockers in patients with anxiety or depression could be problematic because there are concerns around what happens if too many are taken or when they are prescribed alongside antidepressants.… Read more

The road to funding for a complex clinical trial – ingredients for success

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Dr Eszter Szilassy

 

 

 

Dr Eszter Szilassy, IRIS+ Trial Principal Investigator, Senior Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Violence and Health, Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol

On 1 May 2024, I held the first meeting of the IRIS+ Trial, a complex clinical trial to improve the general practice response to domestic abuse, which had been made possible by an award of £2.2 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). As I sat with colleagues, I couldn’t quite believe that we were finally ready to go. The journey started two and a half years ago on the back of a feasibility study, which was successful, but not yet published. As a mid-career researcher, this was my first major grant application as Principal Investigator. I had much to learn on the way and was reliant on a lot of support from both academic … Read more