Director of Health Services Research Unit
- About
-
- Email Address
- c.r.ramsay@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 438142
- Office Address
Health Services Research Unit (HSRU)
3rd Floor, Health Sciences Building,
Foresterhill
Aberdeen AB25 2ZD- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
I am Director of the Health Services Research Unit and Professor of Health Care Evaluation. I also direct the Aberdeen Health Technology Assessment Group, which is the only academic centre in Scotland responsible for providing technology assessment reports for the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
I have wide ranging research interests in health services research with expertise in service improvement research, surgical trial evaluation, and quasi-experimental study designs and as statistical editor for the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care group I have led the worldwide development of systematic review methodology for interrupted time series designs. I serve on several national and international committees and was an inaugural member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Young Academy of Scotland.
Qualifications
- BSc Mathematics and statistics1993 - University of Edinburgh
- PGDip Information Systems1994 - Edinburgh Napier University
- PhD Public Health2000 - University of Aberdeen
- Research
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Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Nutrition and Health, Dentistry.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Healthcare Science
- Medical Statistics
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Nutrition and Health, Dentistry.
I provide PhD supervisory support for full or part-time PhD students. Some recent examples include:- Complex designs in randomised clinical trials – a case study in dentistry - Beatriz Goulao
- Interrupted times series (ITS) evaluation - Jemma Hudson
- What are the personal, clinical and social impacts of longer waiting times? A multi-methods study - Elisabeth Kirchner
- Optimising the responsible use of antibiotics - Shazia Yousuf
Funding and Grants
In terms of research grant awards, I have personally been involved as chief investigator or principal applicant on a portfolio of national and international studies generating in excess of £30 million, with £20 million in the last 5 years. The projects include a mix of large scale international trials and methodological studies funded from a variety of sources – all the studies are healthcare policy relevant and of national or international significance.
- Publications
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Page 2 of 5 Results 51 to 100 of 215
Photodynamic versus white light-guided treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: A study protocol for a randomised trial of clinical and cost-effectiveness
BMJ Open, vol. 9, no. 9, e22268Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMethodology and reporting characteristics of studies using interrupted time series design in healthcare
BMC Medical Research Methodology, vol. 19, 137Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-019-0777-x
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12514/1/Methodology_and_reporting_characteristics_of_studies_using_interrupted_time_series_design_in_healthcare.pdf
- [ONLINE] https://bmcmedresmethodol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12874-019-0777-x
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Protocol for a Randomised controlled trial to Evaluate the effectiveness and cost benefit of prescribing high dose Fluoride toothpaste in preventing and treating dental Caries in high-risk older adults (reflect trial)
BMC Oral Health, vol. 19, no. 1, 88Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-019-0749-x
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12430/1/s12903_019_0749_x.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
Prioritizing research areas for antibiotic stewardship programmes in hospitals: a behavioural perspective consensus paper
Clinical Microbiology and Infection, vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 163-168Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2018.08.020
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/11868/1/Prioritizing_research_areas_for_antibiotic_stewardship_programmes_in_hospitals.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] View publication in Mendeley
- [ONLINE] https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/en/researchoutput/prioritizing-research-areas-for-antibiotic-stewardship-programmes-in-hospitals(92caf58a-15e8-4a8a-bf58-7db15ecc8ac5).html
Clear lens extraction for the management of primary angle closure glaucoma: Surgical technique and refractive outcomes in the EAGLE cohort
British Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 102, no. 12, pp. 1658-1662Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2017-311447
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
DELTA2 guidance on choosing the target difference and undertaking and reporting the sample size calculation for a randomised controlled trial
Trials, vol. 19, 606Contributions to Journals: ArticlesChoosing the target difference and undertaking and reporting the sample size calculation for a randomised controlled trial - The development of the DELTA2 guidance
Trials, vol. 19, 542Contributions to Journals: Comments and Debates- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3809-2
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Long term outcomes of simple clinical risk stratification in management of differentiated thyroid cancer
The Surgeon, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 283-291Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2018.01.007
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/12023/1/SURGE_S_17_00394_3.pdf
INTERVAL (investigation of NICE technologies for enabling risk-variable-adjusted-length) dental recalls trial: a multicentre randomised controlled trial investigating the best dental recall interval for optimum, cost-effective maintenance of oral health in dentate adults attending dental primary care
BMC Oral Health, vol. 18, 135Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-018-0587-2
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/10898/1/INTERVAL.pdf
Improving the Quality of Dentistry (IQuaD): a cluster factorial randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness and cost-benefit of oral hygiene advice and/or periodontal instrumentation with routine care for the prevention and management of periodontal disease in dentate adults attending dental primary care
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 22, no. 38, pp. 1-176Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta22380
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/10733/1/3014714.pdf
Areas for improvement in community optometry: flashes and floaters take priority
Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 411-421Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe split-plot design was useful for evaluating complex, multi-level interventions but there is need for improvement in its design and report
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 96, pp. 120-125Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTrial Forge Guidance 1: What is a Study Within A Trial (SWAT)
Trials, vol. 19, 139Contributions to Journals: Letters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2535-5
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/10095/1/s13063_018_2535_5.pdf
Male synthetic sling versus artificial urinary sphincter trial for men with urodynamic stress incontinence after prostate surgery (MASTER): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Trials, vol. 19, pp. 1-17Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2501-2
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/10149/1/Trials.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Diagnostic accuracy of Optical Coherence Tomography for diagnosing glaucoma: secondary analyses of the GATE study
British Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 102, pp. 604-610Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA core outcome set for localised prostate cancer effectiveness trials
BJU International, vol. 120, no. 5B, pp. E64-E79Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.13854
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
A core outcome set for localised prostate cancer effectiveness trials
BJU International, vol. 120, no. 5B, pp. E64-79Contributions to Journals: ArticlesHeterogeneity in application, design, and analysis characteristics was found for controlled before-after and interrupted time series studies included in Cochrane reviews
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 91, pp. 56-69Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.07.008
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Core outcomes in periodontal trials: Study protocol for core outcome set development
Trials, vol. 18, no. 1, 436Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-2169-z
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Choosing the target difference ('effect size') for a randomised controlled trial - DELTA2 guidance protocol
Trials, vol. 18, no. 1, 271Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-1969-5
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for hospital inpatients
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, vol. 2017, no. 2, CD003543Contributions to Journals: Review articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003543.pub4
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
‘Better’ clinical decisions do not necessarily require more time to make
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 82, pp. 173–174Contributions to Journals: ArticlesEffectiveness of open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (UKUFF): a randomized controlled trial
The Bone & Joint Journal, vol. 99-B, no. 1, pp. 107-115Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.99B1.BJJ-2016-0424.R1
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/9861/2/UKUFF_Manuscript_final_submitted.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/9861/1/Figure_1_Trial_Profile.docx
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/9861/3/Figure_2_Mean_and_95_25_CI_of_Oxford_Shoulder_Score_across_time_.docx
Early lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle closure glaucoma: An economic evaluation based on data from the EAGLE trial
BMJ Open, vol. 7, no. 1, e013254Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013254
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8141/1/e013254.full_1_.pdf
Costs, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic and open repair for rotator cuff tears: an economic evaluation alongside the UKUFF trial
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British volume , vol. 98-B, no. 12, pp. 1648–1655Contributions to Journals: ArticlesReporting and dealing with missing quality of life data in RCTs: has the picture changed in the last decade?
Quality of Life Research, vol. 25, no. 12, pp. 2977-2983Contributions to Journals: ArticlesSupporting genetics in primary care: investigating how theory can inform professional education
EJHG : European journal of human genetics : the official journal of the European Society of Human Genetics. , vol. 24, no. 11, pp. 1541-1546Contributions to Journals: ArticlesROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions
BMJ, vol. 355, i4919Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i4919
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8085/1/bmj.i4919.full.pdf
Effectiveness of early lens extraction for the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma (EAGLE): a randomised controlled trial
The Lancet, vol. 388, no. 10052, pp. 1389-1397Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAn Audit and Feedback Intervention for Reducing Antibiotic Prescribing in General Dental Practice: The RAPiD Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial
PLoS Medicine, vol. 13, no. 8, e1002115Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002115
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/7458/1/Elouafkaoui2016.pdf
A randomised controlled trial comparing laparoscopic cholecystectomy with observation/conservative management for preventing recurrent symptoms and complications in adults with uncomplicated symptomatic gallstones. (C-Gall trial)
International Surgical Congress of the Association-of-Surgeons-of-Great-Britain-and-Ireland, pp. 195-196Contributions to Journals: Abstracts- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.10266
Can Automated Imaging for Optic Disc and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Analysis Aid Glaucoma Detection?
Ophthalmology, vol. 123, no. 5, pp. 930-938Contributions to Journals: ArticlesLearning curves
Randomized Clinical Trials of Nonpharmacological Treatments. CRC Press, pp. 43-53, 11 pagesChapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Chapters- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/b11349
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Barriers and facilitators of evidence-based management of patients with bacterial infections among general dental practitioners: a theory-informed interview study
Implementation Science, vol. 11, pp. 1-12Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPatient-, organization-, and system-level barriers and facilitators to preventive oral health care: a convergent mixed-methods study in primary dental care
Implementation Science, vol. 11, pp. 1-14Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0366-2
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/5539/1/Templeton_2016.pdf
Automated imaging technologies for the diagnosis of glaucoma: a comparative diagnostic study for the evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy, performance as triage tests and cost-effectiveness (GATE study)
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 20, no. 8Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta20080
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/5481/1/FullReport_hta20080.pdf
Consensus on outcome measures for glaucoma effectiveness trials: Results from a delphi and nominal group technique approaches
Journal of Glaucoma, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 539-546Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/IJG.0000000000000301
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
The clinical and cost-effectiveness of open mesh repairs in adults presenting with a clinically diagnosed unilateral, primary inguinal hernia who are operated in an elective setting: systematic review and economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 92, pp. i - 141Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19920
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/10136/1/FullReport_hta19920.pdf
- [ONLINE] https://abdn.pure.elsevier.com/en/en/researchoutput/the-clinical-and-costeffectiveness-of-open-mesh-repairs-in-adults-presenting-with-a-clinically-diagnosed-unilateral-primary-inguinal-hernia-who-are-operated-in-an-elective-setting(fb2aae23-fb29-4545-8fcf-56dfeab37b8f).html
A systematic review of economic evaluations of the use of robotic assisted laparoscopy in surgery compared with open or laparoscopic surgery
Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 457-467Contributions to Journals: ArticlesClinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair [the UK Rotator Cuff Surgery (UKUFF) randomised trial]
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 80, pp. 1-218Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19800
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8977/1/FullReport_hta19800.pdf
Collagenase clostridium histolyticum for the treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture: systematic review and economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 90, pp. 1-202Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19900
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/5550/1/FullReport_hta20080.pdf
Participation in physical play and leisure in children with motor impairments: Mixed-methods study to generate evidence for developing an intervention
Physical Therapy, vol. 95, no. 10, pp. 1374-1386Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20140404
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Outcome Measures in Glaucoma: a systematic review of Cochrane Reviews and Protocols
Journal of Glaucoma, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 533-538Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAblative therapy for people with localised prostate cancer: a systematic review and economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 49, pp. 1-524Contributions to Journals: ArticlesIs self-monitoring an effective option for people receiving long-term vitamin K antagonist therapy? A systematic review and economic evaluation
BMJ Open, vol. 5, no. 6, e007758Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007758
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4684/1/Sharma_BMJOpen_2015.pdf
Assessment of diagnostic tests and the impact on decision making: self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation therapy: Oral presentation
Contributions to Conferences: Other ContributionsMaking randomised trials more efficient: report of the first meeting to discuss the Trial Forge platform
Trials, vol. 16, 261Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0776-0
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/5136/1/s13063_015_0776_0.pdf
The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of point-of-care tests (CoaguChek system, INRatio2 PT/INR monitor and ProTime Microcoagulation system) for the self-monitoring of the coagulation status of people receiving long-term vitamin K antagonist therapy, compared with standard UK practice: systematic review and economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 48, pp. 1-172Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19480
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8976/1/Sharma_2015.pdf
A systematic review of the use of an expertise-based randomised controlled trial design
Trials, vol. 16, 241Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0739-5
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4683/1/Cook_2015.pdf
Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of foam sclerotherapy, endovenous laser ablation and surgery for varicose veins: results from the Comparison of LAser, Surgery and foam Sclerotherapy (CLASS) randomised controlled trial
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 19, no. 27, pp. 1-342Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3310/hta19270
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4430/1/CLASS.pdf