Long-term Conditions and Ageing research cluster

Effective management of people with long-term conditions is a priority within health care. Our research activities are designed to develop and strengthen local, national and international collaborations enabling the delivery of high quality, values based health and social care practice across the lifespan.

Our research focuses upon workforce development, service users and health across the lifespan in a number of areas including e-health, diabetes, dementia, depression, cancer and people with multiple long-term conditions.

The mission of the Long-term Conditions and Ageing Cluster is to ensure provision of values-based care for service users by advancing knowledge in health and social care across the lifespan.

Research areas

Non-medical prescribing

Research into the use of non-medical prescribers for improving patient care and reducing medication errors.

2014-2016 – Carey, N; Stenner, K; Moore, A; Otter, S; Gage, H; Courtenay, M; Brown, J: Evaluation of Physiotherapist and Podiatrist Independent Prescribing, Mixing of Medicines, and Prescribing of Controlled Drugs Policy Research Programme, Department of Health

Dementia care

Time for Dementia is a collaborative project with the University of Sussex and Alzheimer’s Society.

2014-2018 – Banerjee, S; Grosvenor, W: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the University of Surrey and the Alzheimer’s Society Time for Dementia’ programme Health Education Kent Surrey and Sussex

Workforce preparation

The RIPE project Researching Interventions that Promote Ethics in Social Care is a randomised controlled trial exploring whether ethics education will better prepare the workforce to provide care for older people in residential care.

This project is funded by the Ethox Foundation which is a charitable foundation

Health across the lifespan

Research in multiple sclerosis is being critically reviewed through a systematic review.

2015 - Carey, N; Westwood, S; Cooke, D; Mold, F; Cross, C; Micklaucich, M; Jones, B; Embrey, N; Burke, P: The Multiple Sclerosis Society Models of Excellence Literature Reviews: Emotional and Psychological Wellbeing: Co-ordination of treatment, care and support: Information Advice and Advocacy

Self-management of long-term conditions

Having worked extensively on a national project to examine the treatment mechanisms underlying an educational program for adults with diabetes, Debbie Cooke is undertaking research on improving longer-term outcomes for people with diabetes.

Professor Sara Faithfull and her team work on a project to set up a pharmacy based self-management service for prostate cancer survivors.

This innovative intervention involves an algorithm-driven risk assessment to provide exercise and diet advice in order to improve cardiovascular health of prostate cancer patients.

Integrated care across the lifespan

Parkinson’s Disease Medication Management – Nicola Carey et al: importance of maintaining the patient’s ability to continue to self-medicate as they transfer between care settings.

The patient being central to the care given is of high importance in the disease journey of the patient with the LTC (and also the aging process), person-centred care being central to the integration of their care, no matter the care setting.

Methodological expertise

• Complex interventions
• Mixed methods research
• Implementation science
• Data analytics
• Systematic review

Partnerships

• Care Ethics Global Network
• ICE Observatory
• Association for prescribers
• University of Sao Paulo
• University College Cork
• University Vallendar
• Nagoya University
• Member of UK NIHR Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) Study Group:
• Member of Prostate Cancer UK/Movember True NTH Initiative

Postgraduate research students

Research Assistant

Recent publications

• Heller S, Amiel S, Lawton J, Cooke D, Mansell P, Brennan A, Elliott J, Boote J, Emery C, Baird W, Basarir H, Beveridge S, Bond R, Campbell M, Cater T, Choudhary P, Clark M, DeZoysa N, Dixon S, Gianfrancesco C (2014). Improving management of Type 1 diabetes in the UK: the DAFNE programme as a research test-bed National Institute for Applied Research (NIHR) Journals Library. PGfAR RP-PG-0606-1184 (NETSCC ID 11/77/25). Volume 2, Issue 5. Doi: 10.3310/pgfar02050. ISSN2050-4322.
• Gallagher A, Bousso RS, McCarthy J, Kohlen H, Andrews T, Paganini MC, Abu-El-Noor NI, Cox A, Haas M, Arber A, Abu-El-Noor MK, Baliza MF, Padilha KG.(2015) 'Negotiated reorienting: A grounded theory of nurses' end-of-life decision-making in the intensive care unit.' International  Journal of Nursing Studies  Apr;52(4):794-803.  doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.12.003
• Mold F, de Lusignan S, Sheikh A, Majeed A, Wyatt JC, Quinn T, Cavill M, Franco C, Chauhan U, Blakey H, Kataria N, Arvanitis TN, Ellis B. (2015) 'Patients' online access to their electronic health records and linked online services: a systematic review in primary care'. Br J Gen Pract, England: 65 (632), pp. e141-e151.