Behaviour, Implementation Science and Qualitative methods in Infections research Team (BISQIT)

We utilise behavioural science and qualitative methods in primary care research to improve care for patients presenting with infections and to support antibiotic stewardship.

Better infections management and antimicrobial stewardship require changes by both healthcare professionals and patients. Behavioural science underpins all our research, to ensure that influences on behaviour are fully considered in both exploratory and experimental work.

We collaborate on a number of primary care trials and implementation studies where we lead and provide expert input on intervention development and evaluation, often utilising mixed-methods. Our work includes a focus on the adoption and implementation of novel diagnostics, including point-of-care tests, as a way to support more prudent antibiotic prescribing by primary care clinicians.

We lead national and international qualitative work aiming to understand clinician and patient views and experiences of primary care management of infections with the aim to identify barriers and facilitators to changes in delivery of care.

By doing this, we aim to encourage best practice by clinicians, empower patient self-management of acute infections and appropriate help-seeking for infections, and inform the delivery of primary care services.

We provide behavioural and qualitative methods advice and support to researchers in the Infections & Acute Care Research group and in the wider Department. We also provide supervision for DPhil, MSc and undergraduate students and students on internships; and deliver teaching in the Department on qualitative methods and behaviour change, as part of the MSc in Translational Medicine, MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care, and MSc in Applied Digital Health. 

Current Projects: