Biography

Rosemary is a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Rheumatologist at the University of Aberdeen. After obtaining a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, with 1st class honours in Pharmacology from the University of Aberdeen, Rosemary studied medicine at the University of Glasgow. She completed her specialist training in Rheumatology in 2017. Rosemary holds a Honorary Consultant Rheumatology post within NHS Grampian where she plays a key role in service development, including improving access to care for those with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions living in rural communities. 

Research Overview

Rosemary is developing a new programme of health services research in rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. This includes common, complex pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, rare rheumatic disease and osteoporosis. This interdisciplinary programme brings together clinicians, researchers, decision makers and patients, and combines a number of different approaches; discovery science, routine health care data and health informatics, epidemiology, and qualitative methods, with an emphasis on patient-centred involvement and co-design. Our approach aims to development person-centred, effective and sustainable improvements in health and well-being for those living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.  Rosemary has a particular interest in geographical inequalities in prevalence, outcomes and access to care.

Current Research

Rosemary is currently working on a number of studies, including most recently those exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on care for those with long term conditions. Another recently funded study by the Nuffield Foundation seeks to examine the prevalence and outcomes for those with rheumatic disease living in rural areas. This also provides the opportunity to examine the impact of the pandemic on healthcare utilisation.

Alongside this, Rosemary continues to work on a Versus Arthritis funded programme grant to redesign services for those with fibromyalgia. Another Versus Arthritis funded study seeks to evaluate models of care for those with rare rheumatic disease (using systemic vasculitis as an exemplar).

These studies combine a range of qualitative methods (semi-structured interviews and novel ethnographic approaches), with data linkage methodologies and health economics, to co-design with patients, effective and equitable models of care and support. Together with colleagues in ACAMH, we are also working on a feasibility study to develop an early knee osteoarthritis cohort.

Collaborations

MRC/Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work

http://www.mrc.soton.ac.uk/cmhw/

Funding and Grants

• Minimising impact on vulnerable patients: Data-driven design, monitoring and adaptation of Covid and non-Covid clinical care pathways, Chief Scientist Office (Scotland), £76,212, Co-applicant, June 2020 - Dec 2020
• COVID-19 and musculoskeletal health during lockdown (CONTAIN study), Versus Arthritis, £50,000, Co-applicant, April 2020 - Dec 2020
• Geographical mapping of prevalence and outcomes in rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions across Wales and Scotland: a data linkage study, Nuffield Foundation, £377,156, Chief Investigator, June 2020 - May 2022
• Effective healthcare delivery in rare rheumatic disease: evaluating models of care for systemic vasculitis, Versus Arthritis, £309,166, Chief Investigator, Sep 2019 - Aug 2021
• Enhancing Recruitment And Retention Of Rural Doctors In Scotland: A Mixed-Methods Study, Chief Scientist Office (Scotland), £298,984, Co-applicant, June 2020 - May 2022
• Feasibility of Recruiting an Early Scottish Knee Osteoarthritis cohort (FRESKO), ISSF, £19,199, Co-applicant, June 2019 - Dec 2019
• Feasibility of Recruiting an Early Scottish Knee osteoarthritis cOhort (FRESKO), Chief Scientist Office Scotland, £32,132, Co-applicant, June 2019 - Dec 2019
• Patient-centred Care for Fibromyalgia: New pathway Design (PACFIND), Versus Arthritis, £1.18 million, Deputy CI and Co-applicant, Feb 2019 - Jan 2024
• Integrated Models of Physiotherapy-led care Across Community and Specialist Rheumatology Services (IMPACt), Chief Investigator, NHS Grampian Endowment Fund, £23, 692, April 2018 - Dec 2019

Teaching Responsibilities

Rosemary teaches both undergraduate and post graduate medical students at the University of Aberdeen.

She contributes to the PU5030 Epidemiology Course, part of the Masters of Public Health and Global Health and Management.