HSRU News and Events

NEWS...

Recently completed projects

  • Imatinib for the treatment of unresectable and/or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs): This NICE technology appraisal report assessed the clinical and cost-effectiveness of imatinib at escalated doses of 600 mg/day or 800 mg/day, compared with sunitinib or best supportive care, for the treatment of patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GISTs which have progressed on treatment at a dose of imatinib at 400 mg/day. The findings suggest that around one third of patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GISTs who have failed on a dose of 400 mg/day, may show response or stable disease with escalated doses of imatinib, and those who do respond may have a reasonable chance of maintaining this response over a longer period of time than would otherwise have been the case. NICE recommended that imatinib at 600 or 800 mg/day was not used for people with unresectable and/or metastatic GISTs whose disease has progressed after treatment with 400 mg/day imatinib. For further information contact Jenni Hislop; j.hislop@abdn.ac.uk;  01224 559033.
  • What health care experiences matter to patients and how can we assign value to them for policy making purposes? This multi-disciplinary MRC-funded study was conducted in two stages to: (1) identify and describe the range of health care experiences that matter to people; and (2) assess the techniques that are currently available for estimating how much value people assign to these experiences. Findings from the first stage showed that service users identify many healthcare experiences as important; for example what the experience of services (or staff) was like, how they themselves feel and what they can do (or not) as a result of their healthcare encounters. Existing quality frameworks could not accommodate all these findings, particularly those recording experiences of identity and relationship. Findings from the Stage 2 were that, whilst health economists are already well equipped to value patient experiences, very few methods have been applied to do so. Valuation tasks such as discrete choice experiments and contingent valuation have focused on a very narrow definition of patient experiences. Whilst valuation tasks, such as person and time trade off, have tended to focus on health outcomes, with novel adaptation such methods would be both plausible and useful for valuing patient experiences. For further information contact Jill Francis; j.francis@abdn.ac.uk, 01224 559672.

New projects

  • Systematic reviews for the management of obesity in adult men: An NIHR HTA   programme funded project will examine the evidence for weight loss programmes for men who are obese. This study will explore how losing, and then maintaining, a healthy weight can be made more relevant for men's lives. We will be collaborating in this research with the Men's Health Forums representing all the countries of the UK. For further information contact Alison Avenell; a.avenell@abdn.ac.uk, 01224 554336.
  • Role of expertise-based trial design: A prestigious 3 year MRC UK personal Methodology fellowship has been awarded to Jonathan Cook to assess the role of the expertise-based trial design in surgical evaluation. Under a standard trial design, participating surgeons are expected to deliver both interventions which can be problematic for some surgeons. Under an expertise-based trial design, participating surgeons provide only the intervention in which they have expertise. The methodological implications of both designs will be explored. For further information contact Jonathan Cook; j.a.cook@abdn.ac.uk, 01224 559580.

Staff news

  • Welcome to David McMinn who will be working in Health Psychology as a Research Fellow.
  • Welcome back to John Norrie who is returning to the Unit as Director of CHaRT.
  • We also have Sue Ross joining the Unit until December on a sabbatical from the University of Calgary and Mirjam Malorney who has joined the Health Psychology group as in intern for 3 months.
  • Congratulations to Gladys McPherson who achieved her PhD recently.
  • Also congratulations to Craig Ramsay who has been chosen to become part of the inaugural intake of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy.

Success in RAE for HSRU

Staff from the Unit made a major contribution to the University of Aberdeen's submission to Unit of Assessment 7 (Health Services Research) in the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008).

The Health Services Research return was the highest scoring return for the University of Aberdeen and was joint top of the UK league in health services research. RAE confirmed that 80% of the research submitted was judged as interntionally excellent / world class, with all the work identified as of international quality.

EVENTS...

DOC methodology workshops

HSRU's Delivery of Care (DoC) Programme runs a series of workshop in innovative methods related to research in the organisation and delivery of health services. The hour-long workshops provide research staff in HSRU, and the wider Institute of Applied Health Sciences, with interactive development and training opportunities. The workshops take place within a small-group environment. The audience is encouraged to engage with the topic through an invited presentation and an activity. The presenters are typically internationally recognised leaders in their field.  

All workshops will be held in Room 115 on Level 1 of the Health Sciences Building - Foresterhill.  

The theme for the DOC methodology workshops for this Autumn was "Developing Methods in Health Services Research".  The aim of the series was to introduce new methods that are being used in health services research or in other disciplines and can be applied to a HSR context.

The theme for Spring 2012 is "Design and Technology in Health Care Delivery".  More details to follow in due course.  

For more information or to provide suggestions for future workshops please contact:

Dr Katie Gillies (k.gillies@abdn.ac.uk) or

Dr Niina Kolehmainen (n.kolehmainen@abdn.ac.uk)