from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol
Applications for these part-time awards are invited from primary care clinicians with a strong academic record and a commitment to a career in academic primary care.
The one-year fellowship provides clinicians the opportunity to further develop their academic track record in preparation to apply for and conduct a PhD.
The Call for Abstracts for the Society for Academic Primary Care Annual Scientific Meeting (SAPC ASM) 2024 is now open. The submission deadline is 19 February 2024.
The annual SAPC conference showcases the latest research and education in academic primary care. This year, we are hosting the conference at the University of Bristol.
Patients experience uncertainty when following the traditional diagnostic pathway for coeliac disease, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP).
The study team from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West suggested that GPs could improve this by:
Researchers also discussed how the uncertainty patients experience during testing for coeliac disease needs to be addressed when considering diagnostic pathway changes, such as a move towards using only blood test results for diagnosis.
A four-part audio-drama, Tobias and Syd, launched earlier this year and inspired by University of Bristol and Durham University research, is currently ranked second in the Audio Fiction World Cup and is the top UK podcast.
The drama, sub-titled ‘an alluring time travel romance’, tells the story of Tobias and Syd, how they meet, the role seduction plays in bringing them together, and how their relationship spirals, through a series of time-travel episodes, into smoke-filled darkness, exploitation and addiction.
Written and directed by multi-award nominated Elspeth Penny (Silva Lining’s Care Plan), and made by award-winning, Bristol-based 2BU Productions, the play gathers original research with a lot of surprising history and a cast of compelling characters.
A newly published randomised controlled trial (RCT) used an innovative trial design to rapidly roll out a behavioural intervention aimed at reducing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the trial’s results, published in Implementation Science, found the Germ Defence website did not appear to reduce infections during the pandemic, they do show how trusted research environments (TREs) can be used to evaluate new treatments safely and quickly.
This was the first RCT where follow up was conducted entirely within a TRE. The study’s novel design meant GP practices and patients did not have to return any data, as all analysis was conducted via the OpenSAFELY TRE. OpenSAFELY TRE gives researchers access to 40% of the English population’s anonymous health records.
Germ Defence is a behaviour change website that gives practical advice on how to reduce the spread of infection in the home. It was found to be effective in reducing the spread of seasonal and swine flu in a previous RCT.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has awarded Fellowships to three Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) researchers: Professor Katrina Turner, Dr Jessica Watson and Dr Ciaran Conway.
RCGP Fellowships are the highest grade of membership, and a mark of excellence and recognition of distinguished contribution to general practice.
The awards were presented at a ceremony in London on 17 November.
Six outstanding researchers have been awarded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professorships, including Professor Matthew Ridd from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol. They will carry out research which aims to positively impact people across the UK.
The NIHR Research Professorships scheme funds and supports research leaders of the future. It aims to strengthen and benefit health, public health and care research leadership.
The implementation of trauma-informed approaches in UK healthcare requires policy commitment, leadership support and a solid evidence base. According to a recent study by researchers at the University of Bristol, these approaches can prevent re-traumatisation in services and improve experiences and outcomes for both patients and staff. The results of the study, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR BRC), have been summarised for policy makers in a new PolicyBristol report.
Traumatic experiences resulting from childhood adversities, domestic abuse, violence, and social injustice can lead to mental and physical illnesses, homelessness, drug and alcohol use, and imprisonment. In England, nearly half of adults have experienced at least one childhood adversity, and up to 29 per cent of women and 13 per cent of men have experienced domestic abuse during their lifetime, costing the UK economy £14 billion annually.
A trauma-informed approach in healthcare recognises that any patient and healthcare staff member may have been affected by trauma. It involves organisational changes that incorporate knowledge about the prevalence and impacts of trauma into healthcare policies and practices. This approach aims to create safe environments, promote physical and emotional safety for all, and prevent re-traumatisation.
University of Bristol-led research comparing the effectiveness and safety of different types of moisturiser for childhood eczema has won the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year (RPY) Award 2022.
The research was led by Matthew Ridd, a GP and Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, and the award was announced at the RCGP Conference in Glasgow today [19 October].
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)-funded ‘Best Emollients for Eczema (BEE)’ clinical trial compared lotions, creams, gels and ointments used to treat childhood eczema. The trial found no difference in the effectiveness or safety between the four emollient (moisturiser) types, leading the authors to conclude that “the right moisturiser for children is the one that they like to use.”
AA cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients seen in GP surgeries, new research presented today at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2023 has found.
Amitriptyline, which is commonly used at low doses for a range of health concerns, has been found to improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms too, according to the results of the ATLANTIS trial.
Led by researchers at the Universities of Leeds, Southampton, and Bristol and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study was conducted in primary care. GPs prescribed the drug and patients managed their own dose based on the severity of their symptoms, using an adjustment document designed for the trial. Most people with IBS are seen and managed in primary care by their GP, which means that the results of this trial are likely to be applicable to many people with the condition.