Overview
The key focus of the Primary Care group is to conduct world-leading primary care research that delivers meaningful improvements in health outcomes. We conduct research which is problem-driven, inclusive, collaborative, and interdisciplinary.
The Primary Care research group comprises individuals from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds including clinical general practice, epidemiology, data science, and psychology. The core staff are joined by colleagues employed on grants and fellowships and our PhD students are integral to the group. The group is led by Professor Peter Murchie.
We collaborate with colleagues throughout the University, throughout the UK, and internationally. Our international collaborations include colleagues from Sweden, Denmark, USA, Australia, Canada, and Japan. The groups hosts the Northeast node of the NRS Primary Care Network.
We conduct research funded by Cancer Research UK, Scottish Government, Medical Research Council, EPSRC, Friends of Anchor, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and others.
The group upholds the University’s commitment to inclusion, equality, and diversity and was an active contributor to the SMMSN’s Athena Swan Award. Several colleagues have participated in the Aurora programme, a women’s leadership development programme designed and facilitated by Advanced HE.
We are open to applications from PhD students. Please contact the relevant member of staff found in our People tab below.
Research interests
Research details
- Cancer in primary care
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We actively research primary care delivery at each of stage of the cancer journey.
- ASICA Study - Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare
- CORRECT - Cancer PriOrities in Rural and REmote SCoTland
- Investigating and measuring treatment burden in individuals living with and beyond cancer
- SCOTSCAR: Scottish Cancer and Residence
- Technology in primary care delivery
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We research technology in primary care including application development, artificial intelligence, and remote patient monitoring.
- ASICA Study - Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare
- Co-designing digital interventions to improve outcomes for cancer survivors
- Improving symptom management
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We research the experience of symptoms such as pain and fatigue and their management in the community.
- PAINSTORM - Partnership for Assessment and Investigation of Neuropathic Pain: Studies Tracking Outcomes, Risks and Mechanisms
- FATIGUE study - Understanding Patterns of Fatigue in Health and Disease
- SIAMESE study - Supraneural versus Infraneural Approach to transforaMinal Epidural StEroid injection for unilateral lumbosacral radicular pain (SIAMESE): A randomised non-inferiority trial
- REDIRECTION Study – investigating functional MRI changes in chronic low back pain before and after radiofrequency denervation
- Impact of rurality on primary care and patient outcomes
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We research how where a patient lives affects their experiences and outcomes of healthcare.
- CORRECT - Cancer PriOrities in Rural and REmote SCoTland
- ORCHARD study – investigating the role of remote patient monitoring on engagement with primary care
- SCOTSCAR – Scottish Cancer and Residence
- The influence of rural residency on the uptake of screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers in Scotland
- Developing and evaluation of interventions to improve health outcomes
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We develop and evaluate primary care interventions related to our research themes to improve patient health, wellbeing and outcomes.
- ASICA - Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare
- SPARC – Structured Personalised Assessment for Reviews after Cancer
- Women’s health, HPV and cervical cancer prevention
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- Safety of hormonal contraception including the Royal College of General Practitioners' Oral Contraception Study, a cohort study established in 1968 to determine the health effects of oral contraceptives.
- Behavioural and Social Determinants (BESD) of HPV vaccination, HPV Self-Sampling
Teaching and training
We supervise undergraduate medical students undertaking a student selected component (SSC) on clinical effectiveness and Year 5 medical students undertaking a research elective. The group also makes a major contribution to postgraduate education within the University. Team members hold teaching fellowships from Advance HE.
Our colleagues in the GP Teaching Group are another source of expertise in primary care in the University.
People
- Staff
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- Professor Peter Murchie, Personal Chair (Clinical)
- Professor Phil Hannaford, Emeritus Professor
- Professor Sir Lewis Ritchie, Mackenzie Chair of General Practice
- Professor David Price, Chair of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
- Dr Rosalind Adam, Senior Clinical Lecturer
- Dr Lisa Iversen, Advanced Research Fellow
- Dr Melanie Turner, Advanced Research Fellow
- Dr Kathryn Martin, Senior Lecturer
- Dr Natalia Calanzani, Lecturer
- Dr Sharon Hanley, Senior Lecturer
- Dr Leia Kane, Clinical Research Fellow
- Dr Syeda Naqvi, SCREDS Clinical Lecturer
- Dr Johanna Danhof, Clinical Research Fellow
- Dr Helen Latham, Clinical Research Fellow
- Dr Katie Allan, Research Fellow
- Lisa Duncan, Research Assistant
- Emily Skene, Administration Assistant
- Postgraduate Research Students
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- Mona Maier - Decision fatigue in health relevant decision-making (with a particular focus on medical decision-making)
- Leia Kane - Understanding patterns of stress and recovery in doctors and their relationship with burnout, resilience and well-being
- Dalia Aljohani - Adults’ experiences of perioperative opioid use
- Carmen Brack - Identifying Frail Older Adults at Risk of Requiring Social Care Using Primary Care Records in NHS Highland
- Mengxuan (Summer) Sun - Using Natural Language Processing to support cancer patients with self-management
- Lisa Duncan – Measuring and Quantifying Treatment Burden in People Living with and Beyond Cancer
- Adegoke Alabi - Do Rural-Dwellers Experience Cancer Symptoms Differently? A mixed method PhD project using the USEFUL community-based cohort assessing prevalence and response to potential cancer symptoms