Charlotte Albury

BA, MSc, AFHEA, D.Phil

Mildred Blaxter Fellow in Health Behaviours

I have a background in medical anthropology, and my experience focused on use of ethnographic and socio-linguistic methodologies to explore patient experiences of health and illness, including Spirit healing and body modification. My current research focusses on how clinicians and patients communicate in discussions about behaviour change. I am trained in applied conversation analysis and in the Conversation Analytic Role Play Method.

I joined the dept in 2015 and used conversation analysis to explore audio recorded interactions between patients and GPs during the BWeL trial, and link these to patient weight loss outcomes. I currently work across a series of projects using conversation analysis to identify ways to improve communication about behaviour change in clinical settings, including smoking cessation, clinical trial recruitment, diabetes self-management, and clinical risk communication.

I am a specialist in qualitative research methods, and I am course director for Oxford Qualitative Courses, short courses in qualitative research methods, and co-lead Oxford University's NVivo courses.

I currently hold both a Mildred Blaxter Fellowship, from the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, and a Fulford JRF at Somerville College. During my fellowship I am exploring how wider social discourses are enacted at the micro-interactional level during unsolicited advice-giving in primary care.

I currently lead a series of studies focussing on heath communication and behaviour change. These include:

TalkWeL - a three year study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). TalkWeL is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, Loughborough University, Public Health England, and people with obesity. In this project we are examining how clinicians initiate and deliver brief advice for weight loss in primary care, and how patients respond. Our aim is to develop an evidence base of helpful and effective ways to deliver brief advice for weight loss.

COVID Risk communication between clinicians and people in high-risk groups who are about to travel - This study is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). In this study we aim to find out how COVID risk is communicated by clinicians people in high risk groups who are about to travel outside of the UK, and to develop training in effective risk communication strategies.

Reseacrh interests

Advice giving and receipt

Communication in clinical settings

Communication between clinicians and people with obesity

Health behaviours

Behaviour change

Conversation Analysis

Use of software in qualitative research

Teaching

Prior to joining the department I worked in teaching, and I am an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I lead 'Oxford Qualitative Courses', short courses in qualitative research methods. As well as directing the Oxford Qualitative Courses programme as a whole, I also personally lead many of the courses we offer, and co-lead the University's courses on data management with NVivo.

Course Leader:

Introduction to conversation analysis - Oxford Qualitative Courses

Introduction to focus groups - Oxford Qualitative Courses

Introduction to qualitative research methods - Oxford Qualitative Courses

Introduction to qualitative interviewing - Oxford Qualitative Courses

Analysing qualitative interviews - Oxford Qualitative Courses

Introduction to NVivo - Oxford Qualitative Coursess

Up and Running with NVivo - IT Services Training Course

NVivo: Professional Practice - IT Services Training Course

Tutor:

Qualitative Research Methods - MSc. in Evidence Based Health Care

Advanced Qualitative Research Methods - MSc. in Evidence Based Health Care