
Dr Eilidh Duncan
Research Fellow
- About
-
Floor 2, Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Health Sciences Building, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
Biography
I am a Research Fellow and Health Psychologist working to produce evidence about what works to improve health care, what doesn't and why. I want to help to ensure that the right patients are offered the right care at the right time.
I began working in the Health Services Research Unit in 2009 as a research assistant for the PROTECT study investigating prescribing errors made by junior doctors. Whilst working in the unit I gained my PhD (Health Psychology) in 2010, was awarded chartership status with the British Psychological Society in 2013 and registration as a Health Psychologist with the Health Care Professions Council in 2012. I was promoted to Research Fellow in 2011 and my work has focussed on i) the translation of research evidence into routine clinical practice; ii) the design and evaluation of interventions to change behaviour; and iii) the application of behavioural theory to trial recruitment and retention.
I now lead research in improvement studies where I apply my expertise in health psychology and behavioural science to produce evidence about how to improve health care. I was awarded a personal postdoctoral fellowship by THIS Institute in 2018 to investigate participatory approaches to the design of a strategy to improve evidence-based care; audit and feedback. For more details see this blog post about my fellowship project.
Qualifications
- PhD Health Pschology2010 - The Robert Gordon University
- MSc Health Pschology2006 - University of Stirling
- BSc Hons Psychology2005 - University of Glasgow
Internal Memberships
Committee member of SERB, the School of Life Sciences and Medicine ethical review board (2017-current)
Latest Publications
'More than just numbers on a page?': A qualitative exploration of the use of data collection and feedback in youth mental health services
PloS ONE, vol. 17, no. 7, e0271023Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBehavioural optimisation to address trial conduct challenges: case study in the UK-REBOA trial
Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 398Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTheory-guided interviews identified behavioural barriers and enablers to healthcare professionals recruiting participants to maternity trials
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 145, pp. 81-91Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe development of theory-informed participant-centred interventions to maximise participant retention in randomised controlled trials
Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 268Contributions to Journals: ArticlesChannelling the force of audit and feedback: averting the dark side
BMJ Quality & SafetyContributions to Journals: Articles
Prizes and Awards
THIS Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship 2018-22. The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Insititue.
- Research
-
Research Overview
Audit and feedback; behaviour change; behaviour science; codesign; dental health care; health professional behaviour; implementation science; improvement science; mixed-methods; trial recruitment and retention.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Applied Health Sciences.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Healthcare Science
- Applied Psychology
- Health Psychology
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.
Current Research
Improvement studies
I lead work that looks to produce evidence on how to improve health care with a special interest in dental health care. This includes my THIS Institute funded postdoctoral fellowship exploring how to advance the science on audit and feedback to improve healthcare; and my ongoing role as lead health psychologist within the TRiaDS programme (Translating Research into Practice: Guidance-based Implementation of Dental Evidence; funded by NHS Education for Scotland).
Other ongoing and recently completed projects within this area
-
Work looking to improve the uptake of evidence into practice: using behavioural approaches to optimise antibiotic stewardship in hospitals, barriers and facilitators to prescribing and instilling Mytomycin C for treatment of bladder cancer, optimising the responsible use of antibiotics in dentistry (TiPTAP, RAPiD)
-
Using codesign methods to (re)design strategies for improving care: improved data for improved outcomes, can codesign enhance national quality improvement interventions in dentistry
-
Co-supervisor for PhD projects: optimising the responsible use of antibiotics, prescription behaviour in prostate cancer treatment
Behavioural approaches to trial methodology
I am lead behavioural scientist for PPRO_Behave and provide behavioural science expertise for trials and projects including REBOA, CGALL, STEER, BadRaP and REINFORCE. I am also co-supervisor and advisor for PhD candidates in this area.
Collaborations
-
TRiaDS (Translation Research in a Dental setting): a multidisciplinary research group that has been formed to develop a programme of knowledge transfer research embedded within the SDCEP guidance development process; it has public, academic, political and professional members
-
IMAGINE (IMpact Assessment of Guidelines Implementation and Education): a European-wide collaboration involving the European Academic Urology guidelines office and experts in urology, implementation science, and health services research and delivery
-
BadRaP: Using behavioural science to understand and improve participation in clinical trials
-
Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance: Primary Care Antibiotic Audit and Feedback Network (JPIAMR PAAN). An international collaboration on best practices for the delivery of antibiotic prescribing feedback to community clinicians using behavioural science.
-
THIS Community: A community of researchers, NHS, patients and public interested in the evidence base for improving the quality and safety of health care
-
Member of the Audit and Feedback Metalab International Trainee Network
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Applied Health Sciences.
Current PhD project supervision:
Shazia Yousuf (2018-Current; co-supervisor), Elphinstone PhD Candidate. Development of a core outcome set for antimicrobial stewardship intervention studies.
Taylor Coffey (2019-Current; co-supervisor). Improving clinical trial recruitment and retention through behavioural interventions.
Jennifer Dunsmore (2020-Current; co-supervisor). Prescribing behaviour in prostate cancer treatment
Previous PhD project supervision:
Fingleton, N. 2016. Dependence and misuse of over-the-counter medicines: an exploration of patients' and professionals' perceptions, experiences and management.
MSc Project supervision
Insitute of Applied Health Sciences MSc research project supervision (2011-current)
Funding and Grants
Duncan EM. Improving healthcare through advancing the evolution of audit and feedback. THIS Institute. £217,959. [01/12/18 - 31/08/22].
Duncan EM, Ramsay C. Primary care - Improved data for improved outcomes. Scottish Improvement Science Collaborating Centre (SISCC). £34,612. [01/07/19 - 31/12/20].
Black, M., Bhattacharya, S., Entwistle, V., Bick, D., Devane, D., Locock, L., Taylor G., Duncan E., Williams, D., Denison F. Planning mode of birth in routine Antenatal care - development of a decision-aid (Plan-A). NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research Programme. £131,050. [01/06/22 - 30/11/24].
Schwartz K, Ivers N, Lindbaek M, Brown B, Llor C, Pulcini C, Butler C, Ramsay C, Lorencatto F, Bucher H, Brehaut J, Clarkson J, Grimshaw J, Hemkens L, Davoli M, Hallsworth M, Taljaard M, Alonso P, Sundvall P, Touboul Lundgren P, Gunnarsson R, Høye S, Verheii T, O'Connor D, Duncan E, Bjerrum L, Francis N, Little P, Grilli R. The JPIAMR Primary Care Antibiotic Audit and Feedback Network (PAAN): An international collaboration on best practices for the delivery of antibiotic prescribing feedback to community clinicians using behavioral science. Tenth joint transnational call for networks within the joint programming initiative on antimicrobial resistance. $200,000. [1/21-10/23]
Gillies K, Duncan E, MacLennan G, LeBrec V, Lendrum R. What are the key challenges and opportunities for mounting a trial of prehospital REBOA? A behavioural diagnosis to inform a definitive evaluation. ISSF@Aberdeen. £19,001. [09/21-02/22]
Beaton L, Clarkson J, Cassie H, Duncan EM, Goulao B, Young L. Co-designing national clinical audits to improve population oral health. Chief Scientist Office. £33,616. [01/04/20 - 01/10/20].
Brehaut J, Marlin S, Duncan E, Fergusson D, Gillies K, Graham I, Grimshaw J, Hey S, Presseau J, Ramsay C, Rodger, M, Taljaard M, Weijer C, Gordon J, MacLennan G, Richards D, Mei-Lin Y, Inglis J. Using behavioural science to understand and improve participation in clinical trials. Canadian Institute for Health Research Project Grant. $963,900. [01/04/20 - 30/03/24].
MacLennan S, MacLennan SJ, N'Dow J, De Bruin M, Duncan EM, Ahmad S, Dimitropoulis K. Understanding the barriers and facilitators to treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients in line with best practice recommendations: an exploratory study of six critical cases. Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund. £19,307. [01/11/2017 - 30/04/2018].
Fingleton N, Matheson C, Watson M, Francis J and Duncan EM. Dependence and misuse of over-the-counter medicines: an exploration of patients’ and professionals’ perceptions, experience and management. Society for the Study of Addiction. PhD Studentship (N Fingleton). £56525. [01/10/12 – 30/9/2015].
- Teaching
-
Courses
Teaching Responsibilities
I supervise Masters students on courses within the Insitute of Applied Health Sciences. I contribute to the MSc course Evidence Based Health (PU5031) as well as to marking and assessment across the Institute.
- Publications
-
Page 1 of 6 Results 1 to 10 of 56
'More than just numbers on a page?': A qualitative exploration of the use of data collection and feedback in youth mental health services
PloS ONE, vol. 17, no. 7, e0271023Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBehavioural optimisation to address trial conduct challenges: case study in the UK-REBOA trial
Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 398Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTheory-guided interviews identified behavioural barriers and enablers to healthcare professionals recruiting participants to maternity trials
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 145, pp. 81-91Contributions to Journals: ArticlesThe development of theory-informed participant-centred interventions to maximise participant retention in randomised controlled trials
Trials, vol. 23, no. 1, 268Contributions to Journals: ArticlesChannelling the force of audit and feedback: averting the dark side
BMJ Quality & SafetyContributions to Journals: ArticlesBehavioural approaches to recruitment and retention in clinical trials: a systematic mapping review
BMJ Open, vol. 12, e054854Contributions to Journals: ArticlesHow can behavioural science help us design better trials?
Trials, vol. 22, no. 1, 882Contributions to Journals: Comments and DebatesYou had to do something: prescribing antibiotics in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and remobilisation
British Dental JournalContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-021-3621-8
Improving guideline adherence in urology
European Urology FocusContributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euf.2021.10.007
Why trials lose participants: a multi-trial investigation of participants’ perspectives using the theoretical domains framework
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 137, pp. P1-13Contributions to Journals: Articles