Beyond risk factors: Reframing Social Determinants of Health in Primary Care Education
We research how to prevent, detect and treat illness earlier – in GP practices and community settings rather than hospitals. Our work spans clinical trials, data science, digital health and health policy, and we train the next generation of primary care researchers and clinicians. With over 500 staff at the University of Oxford, we turn evidence into changes in practice and policy that reach patients across the UK and worldwide.
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Featured research
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New study reveals compounding quality-of-life burden after miscarriage
A new study reveals that the quality-of-life impact of miscarriage compounds with repeated losses, with a second miscarriage marking a key turning point for mental wellbeing. The findings contributed to Tommy's Graded Model of Miscarriage Care report, supporting calls for earlier, more personalised miscarriage care and support.
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Major study highlights promise of digital technology in improving hypertension care across sub-Saharan Africa
A major international study published today in BMJ Public Health has found that a digitally enabled healthcare programme was associated with significant improvements in blood pressure control among people living with hypertension across sub-Saharan Africa.
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UK restaurant chains falling short on government nutrition targets
Fewer than half of menu items offered by the UK’s largest restaurant chains meet the Government’s voluntary targets for reducing sugar, salt and calories, according to a new study led by researchers at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford.
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E-cigarettes more effective than other smoking cessation aids, new review finds
A new review published today suggests that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes may help more people stop smoking than other commonly used approaches, including nicotine replacement therapy, non-nicotine e-cigarettes, and behavioural support alone.
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British children are growing taller but not for the right reasons
New research from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences challenges recent reports suggesting children in Britain are getting shorter to reveal that average child height has actually increased over the past two decades.
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Women with obesity seeking IVF 47% more likely to conceive naturally after weight loss, Oxford review finds
Department research finds weight-loss programmes raise natural-conception odds by 47% for women with obesity seeking IVF, potentially easing NHS access barriers and reducing treatment need.
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Most penicillin 'allergies' not real, finds major trial coordinated by Department's Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit
A Department Clinical Trials Unit coordinated trial has found most penicillin 'allergies' are not real. Safely removing these incorrect labels can lead to better patient treatment and is a vital step in tackling the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.
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Child heart disease may be more likely if mother has anaemia during pregnancy
New research shows the chance of a child having congenital heart disease increases if the mother is anaemic during pregnancy.
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Are GP incentives for smoking cessation hitting the mark? New study questions impact on effective care for heart patients
Are UK GP incentives helping heart patients quit smoking? New research questions QOF impact, finding effective cessation treatments lag behind recorded advice, especially for those with mental illness.
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Role of Physician and Anaesthetic Associates in UK healthcare challenged in largest ever review
A new study has found little evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthetists associates (AAs) in the UK, raising critical questions about the rapid expansion of these roles in the NHS.
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Junk food ads flood children’s social media feeds, new study finds
New research shows children and young people are bombarded with social media ads for junk food, which influence their food choices, but current rules do little to protect them.
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Largest ever UK study reveals stark ethnic and social inequalities in lung cancer diagnosis
Analysis of 17.5 million health records reveals significant ethnic and social inequalities in lung cancer diagnosis. Research shows Bangladeshi men face highest risks, while people in deprived areas are twice as likely to develop lung cancer compared to affluent areas. Important implications for NHS screening.
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Weight trends in the pandemic for adults with type 2 diabetes or hypertension: An OpenSAFELY observational study
A new study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, has used the OpenSAFELY platform to uncover significant inequalities in risk of rapid weight gain among adults with type 2 diabetes or hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic in England.
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The scale of Long COVID: New study highlights the widespread impact
A comprehensive state-of-the-art review published today in The Lancet has revealed the widespread impact of Long COVID, providing crucial insights into the condition's biological mechanisms and outlining key areas for future research.
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OpenSAFELY provides vital real-time data to support NHS ambition for safer opioid use
Amid concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic might have led to increases in opioid prescribing, a new study from researchers at the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, University of Oxford, demonstrates how the OpenSAFELY database can be used to conduct detailed analyses of opioid prescribing practices, in line with key recommendations from recent NHS England guidance aimed at preventing and reducing opioid harm.
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New heart disease calculator could save lives by identifying high-risk patients missed by current tools
Collaborative research, led from NDPCHS and published today in Nature Medicine, has developed a new tool called QR4 that more accurately predicts an individual's 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases, like heart disease and stroke, particularly identifying high-risk patients that current prediction tools miss.