Exeter

The student will work alongside and as part of the cross-NIHR collaboration (CNC) on Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) Models of Care workstream, on our ‘Team Science’ project. The aim of the research prioritisation exercise is to identify ‘top 10’ research questions that focus on patient priorities related to three core structural elements central to all Models of Care – 1) infrastructure and human capital elements, 2) organisational structure, and 3) costing models. Research prioritisation will be guided by team expertise, stakeholder engagement, embedded patient and public involvement, and existing evidence.  By focusing on structural elements of care we will ensure that our findings and recommendations translate into models of care suitable for policy and practice.  

The student will be immersed in collaborative working and team building. The collaboration represents a broad range of methodological, disciplinary, and public expertise, NIHR infrastructure, geography, and career stage. We are an inclusive, diverse, and interdisciplinary group including health and social care service researchers, clinicians (doctors and allied health professionals), methodologists, community sector organisation representatives and members of the public.  

The intern will develop methodological skills in the conduct of a scoping review of the UK and international literature on priorities of people living with MLTC relating to models of care. Inclusion criteria for the review relate to our focus on underserved communities and findings will support an Equality Impact Assessment, with which the intern will also be involved. The intern will also gain skills in study design in relation to a prioritisation exercise (James Lind Alliance approach).  

This systematic review is examining studies that have evaluated digital health interventions for older people with asthma or COPD (see protocol for the review here). Literature searches have been performed in six databases to identify relevant articles published since 2000 and up to Dec 2024, and screening of titles/abstracts and full texts is underway.

The student will be involved in extracting data (e.g. study setting, study design, sample characteristics, type of intervention, findings) from included studies using a pre-developed data extraction table/tool and applying checklists to assess the quality of included studies. The student may also have the opportunity to contribute to synthesising quantitative and/or qualitative findings from across included studies and contributing to the write up of aspects of the review for journal publication. The findings from the review will inform the development of a proposal and funding application for future research to explore integration of digital technology into a pharmacist-led service to support medication adherence amongst older people with asthma and COPD in primary care.

The CareADHD project, hosted by our Science of ADHD and Neurodevelopment collaboration (SAND) aims to improve the lives of young people aged 16-25 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It involves working with young people to co-develop and test a digital health application (app) and chatbot that helps them access treatment and manage their health and wellbeing.

The internship will involve working with a diverse team including young people with ADHD, health and social care professionals, and digital experts. The student will work with our team as we use person-centred approaches to collaboratively develop, and initially test a digital app and linked chatbot, for young people aged 16-25 with ADHD.

We have quantitative and qualitative data, including from our recent Managing ADHD in Primary Care (MAP) study, which the student can use to identify a topic of interest and undertake an independent research project. This will help them to gain skills in an area of their choosing with the support of the supervisory team.

The intern will be trained in the person-based-approach, and will gain skills in patient and public involvement, co-production research and project delivery. Through our internal networks (ChYMe and APEx), the student will be supported to explore and understand the potential for a research career in children and young people’s mental health research, and/or primary care.

Any further information:

If you would like to know more about this internship, please contact Dr Anna Price (a.price@exeter.ac.uk)

In Cedar Create, we evaluate two NHS England funded workforces; Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) and Education Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP). Practitioners provide low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions for children and young people experiencing anxiety, depression, and behavioural difficulties. We support the evaluation of these roles in NHS and voluntary services across the southwest and try to improve the overall experience of young people accessing mental health services. We have data from over 10,000 children and young people accessing mental health services since 2017 and are keen to publish the data.

You would help the lead researcher to prepare a paper for publication. This could include data cleaning, analysis and contribution to writing.