Tag: primary care

IRIS+ programme extends the health care response to domestic abuse

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Expanding the IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) domestic abuse programme to include men and children and young people is both feasible and potentially cost-effective, University of Bristol researchers have found.

Shot of a little girl looking unhappy as her parents argue in the background.

Success in identifying women affected by domestic abuse through IRIS — a specialist domestic violence and abuse (DVA) training, support and referral programme for general practices — is growing. However, men and children and young people are rarely identified and referred for specialist support. Recognising this gap, a study by researchers from Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care has looked at the feasibility of expanding the scope of support to include them.

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NIHR SPCR Primary Care Clinicians Career Progression Fellowships

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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.

Two men and a woman standing and chatting in front of a University building.

The one-year fellowship provides clinicians the opportunity to further develop their academic track record in preparation to apply for and conduct a PhD.

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Patients face uncertainty during diagnostic process for coeliac disease

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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).

Close up of person having stomach pain

The study team from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West suggested that GPs could improve this by:

  • keeping coeliac disease in mind as a possible diagnosis
  • sharing information on blood tests.

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.

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Germ Defence study shows how an intervention can be rolled out rapidly during a pandemic

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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.

Germ Defence website.

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.

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RCGP Fellowship awards for CAPC researchers

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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.

Professor Katrina Turner, Dr Jessica Watson and Dr Ciaran Conway.
Professor Katrina Turner and Dr Ciaran Conway (standing). Dr Jessica Watson (inset).

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.

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Research Paper of the Year Award for Bristol-led eczema study

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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.

One hand dispensing cream onto the other hand.

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.”

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Amitriptyline helps relieve IBS symptoms

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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.

Person sitting in a chair slightly bent over and clutching their stomach.

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.

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Experiences of support for domestic abuse in UK general practice during the COVID-19 pandemic

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The experiences of patients who sought help in general practice for domestic violence and abuse (DVA) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been revealed in a study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.

Mother holds small baby in one arm as she types on a laptop with her other hand.

The study, published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP), compared the views of 21 patients (women, men and children) with the views of 13 healthcare professionals (GPs, practice nurses and allied health professionals).

Overall, the study found that general practice played an important role in supporting patients affected by domestic abuse during the pandemic, although this was against a backdrop of concerns of rising numbers of DVA cases and falling referral of cases. Access to services was further hampered by the imposition of lockdown measures and a shift to remote care.

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Applications open for NIHR School for Primary Care Research post-doctoral fellowships

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The National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) has launched its call for post-doctoral fellowships (previously known as launching fellowships) to start around April 2024.  

People chatting at a conference.

The maximum award is £160,000 to cover the applicant’s salary for up to 24 months (60-100% FTE), and some research and training costs. These awards are aimed at early career researchers normally within three years of their PhD (longer time post-PhD allowed for people who have taken a career break).

The SPCR would particularly welcome applications from Allied Health Professionals who want to conduct research relevant to primary care but the award is open to any early career primary care researcher.

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