HERU Newsletters are regular bulletins updating developments within HERU. This can include recent research and publications, teaching and courses, and staff changes.
HERU Annual Reports summarise our activity and achievements over the year.
HERU Newsletters
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2023
We feature a new project we are involved to examine the use of the hormone progesterone to treat women at risk of a threatened miscarriage, and update on some studies previously featured in the newsletter. The GRIP project on monitoring for glaucoma and on substance misuse have both recently completed, and we report on a workshop in Rwanda, delivered as part of a programme to deliver and evaluate mindfulness training in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We feature a new project on development work for a mixed-methods study to investigate public values around the health benefits of a universal basic income, and the follow-up to the HEALTH trial on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding. We also report findings from a study on Long COVID in healthcare workers, and on our work to develop a decision aid tool to support pharmacists and patients during a pain consultation. Our new short courses on economic evaluation are highlighted, alongside reports from recent events and staffing updates.
We highlight our involvement in a group funded by the Health Foundation to establish a REAL Research Unit on the ‘supply’ side of healthcare, and in a new Aberdeen Belfast Evidence Collaboration to form an NIHR-funded Evidence Synthesis Group. Other new projects featured include the PAW Trial to test the feasibility and acceptability of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit, and the ICANEQUAL Partnership aiming to reduce inequalities in liver cancer care. The HERU 'Using Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE) in Health Economics' course and Health Economics for Health Professionals postgraduate programme are featured and we congratulate HERU's Graham Scotland on the award of a Personal Chair.
2022
We feature a major new project, led by Aberdeen City Council and funded by NIHR, to understand and address health inequalities in the city of Aberdeen. We also highlight the PATHWAY study looking at factors that could determine waiting list prioritisation for knee and hip surgery, and the Plan-A study to develop a decision aid to guide discussions around birth plan options. The HERU 'Using Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE) in Health Economics' course is featured and we congratulate HERU's Verity Watson on the award of a Personal Chair.
We feature the results of the REF2021 research assessment exercise and highlight new projects, including the two studies on diet choices in Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government RESAS programme; research into helping rural and remote communities attract healthcare workers; the iDiabetes study on using precision medicine for the care of diabetes patients; and our involvement in a programme to promote mental wellbeing in children and adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are also staffing updates and reports from recent events.
We highlight the PROSPECT trial on treatments for vaginal wall prolapse, and the 'Game of Stones' trial on engaging men in weight loss programmes by using text messaging and endowment incentives. Our discrete choice experiment course in Canada is also featured and we look forward to the event in Aberdeen in September. In staffing news, we feature the retirement of Professor Anne Ludbrook after over 35 years with HERU.
2021
We highlight two new research projects around glaucoma research - the GRIP and the I-TRAC projects. We also feature our course on discrete choice experiments, which we hope to run in Canada and Aberdeen in 2022, and reports on events that staff have attended, including the COP26 in Glasgow.
We highlight two COVID-related studies - on vaccination hesitancy and on Long COVID in healthcare workers - and feature new projects on using mesh tapes in stress urinary incontinence surgery; managing substance misuse; and developing a pain assessment instrument to measure work ability. We also feature reports from some recent events, and highlight our blog posts and publications.
The first newsletter of 2021 is also the first in our new format. We feature a recently funded trial on treatments for deep endometriosis, and a new project looking at a proposed telemedicine aid to help vulnerable rural patients. We also feature reports from some recent events, and highlight our blog posts and publications.