Featured Blogs
'A dynamic, rewarding career at the forefront of healthcare': reimagining general practice
4 September 2024
As the NHS grapples with an ageing population and its increasingly complex health needs, the shortage of general practitioners (GPs) required to serve them, reaches critical levels. Yet, paradoxically, fewer medical students are opting for careers in primary care. This troubling trend threatens the very foundation of our healthcare system and demands urgent attention.
Internship spotlight: Sam Rolfe’s path into primary care research
7 August 2024
Sam Rolfe, a University College London (UCL) medical student and upcoming National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) intern in the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences (NDPCHS), shares his passion for primary care research and how this internship could shape his future career aspirations.
Uncovering the hidden benefits of research in General Practice
Healthcare advancements are driven by research and healthcare settings play a crucial role in this process by recruiting patients to take part. There's growing evidence that research-active hospitals show better patient outcomes, but the impact of research activity in primary care settings has been explored in as much detail. Here, Sophie Park, our Professor of Primary Care and Clinical Education discusses recent research she conducted with colleagues across the UK to examine the benefits of taking part in research for primary care practices.
Transforming healthcare communication at the eighth International Meeting on Conversation Analysis and Clinical Encounters 2024
Effective communication in healthcare settings is vital to ensure accurate and effective care is given to patients. Yet, too often, crucial information gets lost in translation between providers and patients. How can we ensure that every interaction in a clinical setting leads to better outcomes?
After the teleconsultation: can telepharmacy keep up?
The shift to healthcare appointments held over the phone has been quick. However for many patients in remote areas, the systems to access prescriptions have not kept pace. Here, Rebecca Payne, an out-of-hours GP for the Orkney Islands, discusses her experiences and new research into how international solutions that could improve telepharmacy.
My journey in evidence-based health care at Oxford
21 August 2024
DPhil Programmes Postgraduate Programmes in Evidence-Based Health Care Students Teaching
Angela Difeng Wu shares her journey in evidence-based health care and experience in the department, from achieving her DPhil in Primary Health Care to leading on the new Health Behaviour Change short course, due to run in November 2024.
Beachside bites and big ideas: shaping UK food policy in Bridlington
Researchers in our COPPER study are working to find food subsidies and taxes that could make healthier and sustainable foods more affordable in the UK. Using funding from the University's Medical Sciences Division Participatory Research Seed Fund, the team canvassed the people of Bridlington to find out what the public think.
Gentle reminders: are they gentle?
5 August 2024 | 1 comment
Isra AlBastaki, a current MSc student in Global Healthcare Leadership, explores the nuances of gentle reminders and diverse communication approaches. Her insights shed light on a critical aspect of healthcare communications.
Bringing together statisticians and patient and public contributors: our first PPIE Meets Statistics Training Event
Statistics is important in medical research but there are not many opportunities for PPIE contributors to engage with statisticians or learn about the statistical aspects of medical research. PPIE contributors often remain uncertain of what statistics is and the role of a statistician. We want to change that – the ‘PPIE Meets Statistics Training Event’ run by our Cancer group and PPI colleagues was the first step towards this goal.
No knowledge is ever lost: My journey with the MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership programme
29 July 2024
Olukayode 'Kayode' Fasominu shares his experience of being on the second cohort of the MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership programme, run in partnership with Saïd Business School.
You don’t need a doctor to get more physically active – here are 10 simple steps you can take by yourself
Discover ten simple ways to boost your physical activity without expensive gym memberships. Learn how small changes in your daily routine can lead to significant health benefits. From taking the stairs to rewarding yourself, find out how easy it is to incorporate more movement into your life.
From midwifery to doctoral research: Lucy Goddard's journey and advice for aspiring scholars
In this blog, recent DPhil graduate Lucy Goddard shares her journey from midwifery to completing her DPhil, highlighting her challenges and successes. She offers advice on embracing uncertainty, maintaining work-life balance, and trusting the learning process.
Identifying a need: developing recognition for PPI staff in health research
Uncovering the hidden work of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and trialling innovative solutions to empower PPI staff and enhance public partnerships.
The Bennett Institute accepts a prestigious Medical Research Council award
The Bennett Institute received the Open Science Impact award as part of the Medical Research Council (MRC) Impact Prize, recognising their work on OpenSAFELY. This project addresses three key challenges: conducting research on private health records while maintaining privacy, demonstrating the productivity of trusted research environments, and promoting open collaboration.
Helping researchers think about policy engagement: introducing the UK Health and Care Evidence Ecosystem Interactive Map
Discover the UK Health and Care Evidence Ecosystem Interactive Map: A new tool helping primary care researchers engage with policymakers and increase research impact. Learn how to navigate the health policy landscape effectively.
Alcohol Awareness Week: Understanding alcohol calorie labelling
Alcohol awareness week is an annual campaign that focuses on raising awareness of the harms and dangers of alcohol consumption, with this year’s focus being ‘understanding alcohol harm’. Here, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences researcher Ethan Knight discusses the research being conducted by the Sustainable Healthy Food Group, investigating the impact of energy labelling on alcohol products and the potential implications of this research.
A role model, a book recommendation, and a reflection…
28 June 2024
MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership student Isra AlBastaki shares a thought-provoking reflection on a conversation with a mentor that led to the discovery of a transformative book, ‘The Fifth Discipline’ by Peter M. Senge. Isra offers a rich perspective on leadership and organisational dynamics. Understanding complex health systems is a key theme of the MSc in Global Healthcare Leadership, jointly run by the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and the Saïd Business School. Read more about Isra’s learning journey within the programme below.
Highlights from CRUKs Early Diagnosis Conference 2024
Researchers from our Cancer Theme recently attended this year's Cancer Research UK Early Diagnosis Conference in Birmingham, which focused on the theme 'Driving Evidence into Practice'. Here, Brian Nicholson, lead of our Cancer Theme, shares highlights from the event.
Early Onset Cancer and the Importance of Early Diagnosis
Cancer in the under 50s, known as early-onset cancer, is on the rise but the reasons behind this are complex. Here, Dr Sharon Tonner from our Cancer Theme Group discusses the increase and outlines the teams work to identify non-invasive tests which could be implemented in primary care to diagnose cancer at an early stage, when the best treatment options are available.
World no tobacco day: helping people in greatest need to quit deadly tobacco cigarettes
Tobacco remains a leading cause of death and disease globally. Yet, in the UK the least-advantaged groups in society are the most likely to be impacted, making tobacco use a significant driver of health inequalities across our population. This World No Tobacco Day, researcher Annika Theodoulou, discusses her work examining different stop smoking interventions and trends in smoking behaviours.
Assessing the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in children
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of children globally with major health, social and educational consequences. Vaccines are one of the first lines of defense against infectious diseases. However, the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination were less clear cut in children compared to adults. New research from NDPCHS explores the safety of the different COVID-19 vaccines for children and young people.