Research Projects

The NHS Safety Thermometer was developed to collect data on four common harms (pressure ulcers, falls, urinary infection (in patients with catheters) and venous thrombo-embolism). It is a point of care instrument that allows data to be collected wherever the patient is (home, nursing home, acute care etc). The tool takes a temperature check of harm and allows improvement in the number of patients affected by harm to be measured over time. The aim of this evaluation is to understand how frontline staff are collecting data in the NHS Safety Thermometer, how the definitions are being interpreted and applied, and how data are being used.
For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

Working with Imperial College London, SAPPHIRE has been commissioned the writing of a Spotlight Report on Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAI), which aims to provide a clear picture of current knowledge and best practice on effectiveness of interventions to reduce HCAI in the UK. Healthcare-associated infections

SAPPHIRE is carrying out this formative evaluation of the NHS Change Model, a framework developed by the NHS Institute to provide a shared approach to leading change and transformation. The evaluation will offer an understanding of the theory of change behind the Model, helping to inform its development and use in practice, and will also provide insights into the way in which the Model is being used in practice in a variety of NHS contexts.  The study is due to report in March 2013.
For more information, please contact Graham Martin

This is an evaluation of the Scottish Sepsis & Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Joint Collaborative, a patient safety programme that aims to reduce mortality from sepsis and VTE across all hospitals in Scotland. The evaluation will identify the key components and activities involved in the Collaborative and the extent to which these take place successfully, and will identify the factors that facilitate or inhibit different hospitals in achieving the objectives of the programme. The evaluation aims to generate generalisable learning to inform the design of future patient safety projects that use a collaborative approach.

For more information, please contact Carolyn Tarrant

 Evaluation of Safer Clinical Systems Phase 2

For more information, please contact Liz Shaw

This  project aims to explore how people frame risk and safety in blood services in the UK. The project is funded by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council, and involves collaboration between Dr Helen Busby at the University of Leicester, Professor Julie Kent at the University of the West of England, and Dr Anne-Maree Farrell at the University of Manchester. The aims are to provide a sociologically informed analysis of public understandings, professional practice, public policy, and law in relation to risks in the supply of blood products in the UK.  The researchers will undertake innovative qualitative research about how patients, professionals, and regulators approach important questions about risk when thinking about treatments with blood products. 

For more information, please contact Helen Busby

This is a study for a possible later randomised control trial assessing invasive urodynamic testing (IUT), compared to basic clinical assessment and non-invasive tests, in women potentially suitable for surgical treatment of stress (SUI) or stress predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI).  
For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

Working with colleagues from The Infant Mortality and Morbidity Studies group (TIMMS) here at Lecicester, we are working to identify an effective, cost-effective and acceptable approach to routine follow-up for babies born late to moderate preterm (by which we mean 32-26 weeks' gestation) in order to identify developmental problems and reduce their long-term impact.

For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

Phases I&II of the LungPATH project focused on describing and mapping the current performance of 20 lung cancer multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) across England. 
The next phase of the project seeks to explore lung cancer MDTs’ processes around confirming a lung cancer diagnosis through the use of tissue sampling and to identify factors that either facilitate or hinder them in achieving a high histological confirmation rate.

For further information, contact Natalie Armstrong

This project is evaluating the ongoing effective self-management of people with established T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus) within a primary care setting
Further information is available here  

For more information, please contact Helen Eborall (co-leading the qualitative sub-study with Margaret Stone)

Responsiveness of Primary Care Services: Development of a Patient-Report Measure

For more information, please contact Emma Angell or Carolyn Tarrant

This project is testing the feasibility and utility of two screening strategies for identifying people with undiagnosed diabetes, non-diabetic hyperglycaemia or at high risk of either of these conditions within a multi-ethnic UK population. It is also looking at the acceptability of the two strategies to patients and practitioners.
Further information is available here

For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

This is a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the DESMOND Foundation Programme for people with established type 2 diabetes in a multi-ethnic population in Leicester and South Birmingham.
Further information is available here

For more information, please contact Helen Eborall (co-leading the qualitative sub-study with Margaret Stone)

This is an ethnographic evaluation of a small number of CTGTCC awards in order to understand the role of collaborative, participatory, community-based approaches to quality improvement in healthcare, and to understand how to make such approaches work optimally.

Further information is available here 

For more information, please contact Emmilie Aveling

We are carrying out research to help understand the way in which this CLAHRC has been put into practice and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of its approaches to closing the gap between evidence and practice.
Further information is available here

For more information, please contact Graham Martin

The evaluation of two pharmacy based stepwise methods of screening for type 2 diabetes.
For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

This project asks whether self-monitoring of blood glucose, as opposed to urinalysis, provide additional benefit to newly diagnosed individuals with type 2 diabetes receiving structured education.

For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

An assessment of the current DESMOND Quality Development tools for validity and reliability, and to develop improved tools.
For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

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Projects completed in 2012

We are carrying out research into the Stroke 90:10 improvement collaborative.  Hospitals in the North West of England signed up to a shared ambition to work together to improve stroke care and achieve a score of 90 or greater on the 2010 Stroke Sentinel Audit.
Further information about Stroke 90:10 is available here 

This project explores the needs and priorities of children and their families and how they can be best addressed when recruiting children to clinical trials.
For more information, please contact Clare Jackson

The aim of this project is to identify sustainable, long-term strategies for retaining a focus on patient quality of care and safety in the health service.
For more information, please contact Mary Dixon-Woods

This research study uses an ethnographic approach to identify organisational features and settings that encourage or discourage good practices in reducing central venous catheter blood stream infections (CVC-BSIs) in intensive care units (ICUs). Findings will inform both quality improvements efforts and the implementation of the Matching Michigan programme in English hospitals.
Further information is available here

For more information, please contact Carolyn Tarrant or Mary Dixon-Woods

To identify and characterise organisational, social and professional facilitators and barriers to harmonising cancer tissue banks for research.

For more information, please contact Jessica Wright

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Projects completed in 2011

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research (NIHR HS&DR) Programme has just published the findings from a major study led by Professor Graham Martin of the SAPPHIRE Group, University of Leicester, which addresses one of the key challenges facing the NHS today: how to sustain and embed changes in healthcare delivery, so that improvements in care continue to benefit patients rather than falling out of favour.  Informed by academic theory and rigorous research in four sites across England, the report offers important lessons for healthcare managers and practitioners looking to avoid what the NHS Institute has called the “improvement evaporation effect” and maintain improvement in the complex organisational environment of the NHS. The release of the report has been accompanied by seminars and knowledge exchange events at both of the East Midlands’ Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs), which have seen academics and healthcare professionals and managers coming together to share ideas about how to sustain healthcare improvements for the benefit of patients. The report is available at http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/projdetails.php?ref=09-1001-40;

Further information is available from Graham Martin

This is a pilot study for a possible later randomised control trial which would compare standard and high dose oxytocin for women delayed in labour.
For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

This project will evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of community based intermediate care clinics (ICC) in the management of type 2 diabetes.
Further information is available here 

For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

For more information, please contact Natalie Armstrong

This project will explore the views of an ethnically diverse group of patients about insulin treatment for type 1 diabetes (VOICE 1) and type 2 diabetes (VOICE2).
For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

This is a project to develop and test the feasibility, acceptability and utility of a simple self-assessment screening strategy (based on waist circumference measurement) for identifying people with type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes and cardiovascular risk.  The strategy will be applicable to an ethnically diverse population.

For more information, please contact Helen Eborall

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Previous Projects

• Trust, confidence and the regulation of risk: examining the Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care. Economic and Social Research Council 2007-2008 Dixon-Woods M, Bryman A, Ashcroft R.
• Review of regulation of medical research. Medical Research Council. 2006-2007 Dixon-Woods M, Ashcroft R, Brownsword A, Bryman A, Yeung K.
• Analysis of Research Ethics Committees’ letters about cancer trials and human tissue. 2007-2008 Dixon-Woods M, Ashcroft R, Bryman A, Angell E. Central Office for Research Ethics Committees.
• Qualitative analysis of Research Ethics Committees’ letters and accreditation reports. Central Office for Research Ethics 2006 Dixon-Woods M, Ashcroft R, Angell E. Committees.
• Consistency of Research Ethics Committee decision-making. 2006 East Midlands Innovation Hub. Dixon-Woods M.
• Qualitative evaluation of Health Foundation Safer Patients Initiative. 2005-2008 Dixon-Woods M, Lilford RJ. Health Foundation via University of Birmingham 
• Childhood cancer tissue donations: a gift relationship? 2004-2007 Dixon-Woods M, Seale C, Young B, Pritchard-Jones K, McHale J, Tobin M, Heney D, Forster J, Habiba M. Economic and Social Research Council.
• Issues surrounding patient information leaflets for cancer Research. 2004-2007. The Trent Research and Development Unit
• Qualitative study of the DESMOND randomised controlled trial. 2004-2005 Dixon-Woods M, Shaw R. DESMOND Trial Collaboration.
• Access to healthcare by vulnerable groups: a meta-ethnographic literature review. 2002-2003 Dixon-Woods M, Annandale E, Arthur A, Harvey J, Hsu R, Katbamna S, Olsen R, Riley R, Smith S. Funded by the NHS Service Delivery and Organisation Programme.
• Collins R, Atkinson M, Landray M, Burton P, Williams B, Cobbe S, Darlington J, Elliott P, Ford I, Majeed A, Dixon-Woods M, Newton J, Parker M, Pell J, Rodden T, Sinnott R. Virtual organisations for trials and epidemiological studies: using e-science for efficient recruitment, data collection, and management  in large-scale randomised trials and observational studies. Medical Research Council 2005-2009
• Development of an educational intervention for amblyopia treatment. Gottlob I, Harrad RA, Dixon-Woods M, Collier J, Proudlock F. National Eye Research Centre. 2004-2005
• Quality of life and childhood disability. Young B, Parkinson K, Clover A, Dixon-Woods M. ESRC  2004-2006
• Cross Research Council Networks in Patient Safety. Lilford R, Dixon-Woods M et al. MRC/ESRC/EPSRC 2003-2004
• Informed consent: ascertaining patients’ requirements, and comparing methods of delivery. Habiba M, Dixon-Woods M, Akkad A, Kenyon S.  NHS Executive Trent (2001-2003)
• Meta-analysis of qualitative and quantitative research. Jones DR, Abrams K, Dixon-Woods M, Fitzpatrick R. ESRC 1997-2000