A team from the Scottish Medical Education Research Consortium led by Dr Kim Walker from the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Healthcare Research Education and Innovation have been named as finalists in this year's Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
As part of their intervention development work, the team collaborated with software company, Trickle, and NHS Lothian to develop a ground-breaking wellbeing app entitled “How Was Your Day.” Successful rollout of the app has resulted in the team’s selection as a finalist in the ‘Multiparty Collaboration’ category.
The app asks users to rate how they are feeling throughout the day and collates how their mood is affected by their activity at work. The results are collected and provide data not only back to the user but on anonymous basis to the organisation on a weekly basis to help inform constructive changes to working practices and improve staff wellbeing.
Dr Walker explains: “This innovative tool, backed by evidence-based research working synergistically with leading edge technology, provides a uniquely tailored solution to employee engagement which enables the transformation of workplace wellbeing, and enhances daily experiences for users.”
The app was piloted for trainee doctors in NHS Lothian and all healthcare workers in the Acute Medicine Unit in NHS Tayside. Since then, the ‘How Was Your Day’ tool has been embedded as a substantive part of the Trickle app and has been adopted by 70% of current Trickle customers across the UK.
Organised by business-academic matchmaking organisation Interface, the Awards celebrate successful partnerships at the cutting-edge of research and development, from local micro-businesses to globally significant discoveries, partnering with universities, colleges and research institutes to change lives in Scotland and beyond.
Now in its 9th year, the Awards ceremony will take place at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow on 14 March, when the winners will be presented with awards in seven categories.
Dr Kim Walker who led the research in Aberdeen said: “We are delighted to be recognised as a finalist in these awards.
“It is important to show that academic research can be translated into real life applications which can have an impact on wellbeing”
ENDS