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International Standards for Nursing Terminology is focused on supporting nursing practice internationally, through the application of theoretical informatics research, demonstrating the following impact:
Clinical ethnography research at UCL has made significant contributions to clinical practice and diagnosis internationally. In Europe and the USA, this has been through the provision of teaching resources and diagnostic tools, such as the inclusion of culture-bound syndromes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In Bhutan, research was instrumental in improving the country's nascent psychiatric health services and directing them towards an appreciation of local contexts whilst applying Western medical practices. In Myanmar, research led to the development of an important vulnerability assessment tool following Cyclone Nargis, which was used to develop immediately responsive identifications of where assistance should be directed.
A team led by a Manchester Metropolitan University researcher developed the PROBE (Project Review, Objective Evaluation) methodology for evaluating healthcare information technology systems. This became a core part of the National Health Service (NHS) information strategy; in 1996, PROBE was accepted by the NHS Executive and HM Treasury as a central method for project review. PROBE has therefore brought significant benefits to clinical users, patients and NHS decision makers. Impacts described here relate to the use of PROBE to evaluate an electronic blood transfusion system. Specifically, through enabling the effective evaluation of the system, decisions by a health authority have been informed by research, clinical practices have improved, and levels of patient safety and confidentiality have risen.
A quiet technology revolution in the UK has been changing the way that police officers on the beat and hospital nurses access and record information, using handheld electronic notebooks that bring large time and cost savings. This revolution began as a University of Glasgow research programme and led to the creation of a successful spin-out company, Kelvin Connect. Acquired in 2011 by the UK's largest provider of communications for emergency services, Kelvin Connect has grown to 30 staff. Its Pronto systems are now in use by 10% of UK police forces and nursing staff in several UK hospitals.
Patient records underpin the delivery of healthcare. When the recorded data are aggregated, they provide information to support service delivery, audit and research. Research conducted at Swansea University from 2000 to 2011 showed that variations in the structure and content of records across the NHS limit their quality and utility. To address this, the University collaborated with the Royal College of Physicians to develop evidence-based national standards for the structure and content of patient records. First launched in 2008, the standards have been endorsed by numerous statutory bodies and professional organisations, including the Department of Health, NHS England, NHS Litigation Authority, Mid-Staffordshire Inquiry, Care Quality Commission, General Medical Council, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and Academy of Medical Sciences.
Research carried out by the Open University Business School (OUBS) has identified how clinical involvement in the leadership and governance of health services should be undertaken in practice. The sustained stream of research has had an impact on healthcare services at a national level, contributing to the work of an influential think-tank, influencing a Government task force and contributing to the guidance provided by the national NHS Leadership Academy. The latter has led to the collaborative development of a major continuing professional development (CPD) solution with a key management consultancy group. The research has also significantly impacted on management and governance of local healthcare trusts and has contributed to guidance by the healthcare regulator.
Clinical practice guidelines published in the UK by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are constructed using an approach based on methodological research led by Professor Martin Eccles of Newcastle University. This systematic approach includes the incorporation of health economics considerations and review after three years (and if found necessary, an update of the guidelines); both important outcomes of Newcastle research. The implementation of guidelines has long been an area of concern. Professor Eccles established and chaired (2008-12) the NICE Implementation Strategy Group, which sought to improve the assistance that NICE gives organisations in order to aid the implementation of guideline recommendations. Valid clinical practice guidelines, when implemented, lead to health gains and predictable care costs, thus helping both patients and the NHS.
Around the world policy initiatives have aimed to increase the engagement of clinicians in the management of health services and research has shown that this contributes to improved patient healthcare. Research led by Professor Ian Kirkpatrick at Leeds University Business School (LUBS) has identified obstacles to this engagement and proposed ways to overcome them. The findings have been distilled into training and educational material which has been delivered to National Health Service (NHS) staff and guidance which has been used by NHS organisations to improve practice. Collectively, this work has contributed to improved and more efficient patient healthcare in several NHS trusts.
Alternatives to acute admission in mental health are crucial, not least because of the high cost of inpatient care. We have carried out a major research programme that includes the only randomised controlled evaluation of crisis resolution teams and the only major UK study of crisis houses, which are community-based, residential alternatives to hospital admission. This programme demonstrated the efficacy of community treatment and has significantly influenced decision making at a local and national policy level, including commissioning guidance and three sets of NICE guidelines. This has contributed to changes in the way acute services for severely mentally ill adults are configured in the NHS, and internationally.