Research Profile Physiotherapy
About the centre The core mission of the Centre is the pursuit of practical applied research in the field of and health care and its translation into evidence based policy, practice and clinical protocols. The Centre benefits from the wider expertise within the University. Sheffield Hallam is one of the largest providers of health and social care professional training in the UK. This means we can access high levels of expertise in areas including nursing and midwifery physiotherapy occupational therapy radiography radiotherapy social work paramedics and operating departments. Beyond healthcare, we work with colleagues in areas including sport and exercise psychologists biosciences design modeling engineering computer science business management environmental sciences town planning. The Centre also benefits from an in-house team of experienced information scientists who support our research staff by conducting literature searches and reference management for bids and funded projects, and providing information skills training. Attached are a sample of recent research projects undertaken by staff from the Centre for Health and Social Care Research in conjunction with academic colleagues from the Nursing, Allied Health and Social Work Departments of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University. For further information please contact us by Phone: 0114 2255691 email: m.whitfield@shu.ac.uk or visit our website at www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc Malcolm Whitfield PhD, MBA, RGN, RMN Professor of Health Economics and Management Assistant Dean Research, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing Director of the Centre for Health and Social Care Research The Centre hosts a vibrant postgraduate research training program with over 80 doctoral students in health and a further 90 students in Sports and Bio-science. Centre for Health and Social Care Research
Research Profile Summary Developing EQ-5D-5L in Musculo-Skeletal Disorders In this project, funded through the Chartered Institute of Physiotherapy, researchers from Sheffield Hallam University carried out an initial study to identify services using EQ-5D-5L. The aim of the initial study was to: collect information about the use of EQ-5D-5L and the reasoning behind its implementation to identify the barriers and challenges associated with using such a system to collate the results and use them to underpin further studies into the use of EQ-5D-5L in MSK practice EQ-5D-5L is a standardised instrument used to measure health outcomes. It claims to be quick and easy to use and capable of providing information for patients, physiotherapists and service commissioners. This project was established to identify services using the system for more than six months and to gather information about that use and the rationale for choosing the system. The study also aimed to identify challenges of implantation, including collection, storage and use of data, as well as exploring the costs benefits of EQ-5D-5L in MSK physiotherapy. Following this initial study, further work was undertaken to establish a pilot project to investigate the use of EQ-5D-5L in MSK practice and the benefits of implementing such a system. Department/centre contact details Sheila Harford s Phone number: 01142255854 E-mail address: CHSCR@shu.ac.uk An initial investigation into the use of EQ-5D-5L in Muskulo-Skeletal Disorders (MSD) www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/ Centre for Health and Social Care Research 3
Research Profile Summary Physio fun promoting treatment adherence amongst children A grant of 9,500 from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) enabled researchers from Sheffield Hallam University to investigate the potential of using technology to support and promote the selfmanagement of physiotherapy exercises in children with either long term or acute conditions. To maximise the effect of physiotherapy intervention, patients are commonly given exercise programmes to undertake at home. The increasing emphasis on self-management of health conditions requires the patient to stick to the prescribed exercise programme. Some attempt has been made to make the written exercise sheets more appealing to children, but generally they consist of outline diagrams of the exercises alongside an explanation and the number of repetitions required. This study, which ran from September 2010 to August 2011, aimed to investigate the potential for technology to support and encourage children in sticking to their home-based physiotherapy exercises. This initial collaborative project between three research centres within the University aims to lay the foundations for submitting a larger research bid to an external body. The research was also used by a member of staff as the basis for a Masters dissertation and has facilitated further academic work, leading to at least one publication. Department/centre contact details Maria Burton Phone: 0114 225 5498 E-mail: m.burton@shu.ac.uk Investigating the potential for technology to support and encourage children to stick to homebased physiotherapy exercises 4 Centre for Health and Social Care Research www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/
Research Profile Summary Recommendations for exercise adherence measures: Findings from a systematic review and consensus workshop Funded through the PRF, this project aimed to look at what actions can be taken to help people stick to therapeutic exercise and to recommend outcome measures with clinical and research utility in the musculoskeletal field. The specific objectives were to: identify all measures of exercise adherence appropriate for musculoskeletal conditions evaluate the measurement and practical properties of available adherence measures against established criteria to provide a shortlist of possible measures convene a consensus workshop with patient representatives and other stakeholders to discuss the relevance and appropriateness of possible measures and prioritise those which are useful, acceptable and feasible for use in clinical and research practice Publish recommendations regarding measures of exercise adherence for use in both clinical practice and research within the musculoskeletal field. Sticking to therapeutic exercise is essential for successful rehabilitation, yet accurately measuring it is challenging and, in clinical practice, physiotherapists do not make enough use of measures of exercise adherence, despite recognising their importance. This research, backed by just over 77,000 of funding from PRF, aimed to identify, summarise and critically evaluate available measures for exercise adherence, and then develop recommendations about the most promising measures relevant for musculoskeletal research and clinical practice. Department/centre contact details Dr Sionnadh McClean Phone number: 0114 225 2271 E-mail address: S.McLean@shu.ac.uk Looking at ways of helping people stick to therapeutic exercise www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/ Centre for Health and Social Care Research 5
Research Profile Summary TURNUP Targeting the Use of Reminders and Notifications for Uptake by Populations Funded through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), this project explored the effects of reminder systems in improving attendance, cancellations and rescheduling of attendance. The research team used a mixed methods review which involved: a review of conceptual frameworks of reminder systems and adherence behaviours a review of the reminder effectiveness literature a review informed by realist principles to explain the contexts and mechanisms which explain the effectiveness of reminders development of a preliminary conceptual model to show how reminder systems work, for whom and in what circumstances. The research team found strong evidence that the timing of reminders between one and seven days prior to appointment has no effect on attendance. A substantial number of patients do not receive their reminder and, for those that do, it can encourage them to cancel their appointments. Simple reminders which provide details of timing and location of appointments do increase attendance, but reminders which provide additional information may be more effective at reducing non-attendance, particularly for first appointments and screening appointments. Overall the study found strong evidence to support the use of reminder systems. However, there is a need for high quality studies investigating the differential influence of providing additional information as part of the reminder system in different contexts, Patient groups potentially at higher than average risk of non-attendance and who may be less responsive to reminders were identified and the team developed the concept of sequential reminders, stepped reminders, or patient navigators in order to reach the most number of patients and to maximise attendance and re-engagement with treatment, although their effectiveness in this context needs to be established. The project has produced a consumer guide for organisations planning to implement a reminder system. This guide includes a summary from known literature of the features and benefits of each system and how they could have a positive impact on the organisation and its patients. Department/centre contact details Dr Susan Nancarrow Phone: 0114 225 5915 E-mail: s.a.nancarrow@shu.ac.uk What can be done to minimise missed appointments? 6 Centre for Health and Social Care Research www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/