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Powell's work focuses on outcomes after traumatic brain injury. In 1995 she established an innovative community-based multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation service — the Outreach Team — and evaluated it via a randomised controlled trial. The positive findings have informed policy and service developments internationally. In parallel, she developed a new outcome instrument [the BICRO] to evaluate psychosocial functioning; this is now used by clinicians in 10+ countries. The BICRO informed the subsequent development and validation of a cross-cultural instrument for assessing quality of life after brain injury [the QOLIBRI]; Powell was a member of the Steering Group which directed the complex international collaborative QOLIBRI project. The QOLIBRI is now available in many languages, and has been fully validated in six. There are 400+ registered users in over 35 countries, more than 200 being clinical service providers; it is a formally recommended tool for public health services in Finland and the US; and it is being used as an outcome measure in numerous treatment evaluations and prospective studies worldwide.
Novel methods of measurement developed by Marek Czosnyka, Peter Hutchinson, David Menon and John Pickard have provided new insights into the pathophysiology of brain injury, led to commercial applications, and influenced patient care in terms of improved outcome for clinical trials. Multimodality brain monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP), brain oxygen and microdialysis; PET/MRI imaging of critically ill patients; and computerised CSF infusion tests for shunt function in hydrocephalus have each impacted on the clinical practice and the ability to evaluate novel treatments and interventions in brain injury. This work has led directly to the establishment of a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Cooperative for Brain Injury.
This case study illustrates the development of novel research materials designed to improve quality of life and performance in different populations. Impact has been achieved through the use of research findings in professional practice, formulation of health-related policies and in the development of new indicators of health and well-being. RCSEP research has been used by international and national health-service organisations (e.g., European League Against Rheumatism, Evidence NHS), industrial establishments (e.g., ArtEZ Conservatoire, Netherlands; Royal Ballet), national governing bodies (British Heart Foundation), and professional bodies (e.g., Dance UK, International Association of Dance Medicine & Science).
This case study focuses on the development and usage of self-help material designed to aid people in feeling and performing better. It has achieved impact through raising awareness via mass media and professional outlets. Research informed self-help materials are available for open access via media links, academic organisations, service organisations (NHS), commercial organisations (London Marathon), national governing bodies (Research Councils), and professional bodies (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences). An on-line project, run in conjunction with BBC Lab UK, developed and tested self-help interventions with 75,000 users each receiving personalised feedback from former Olympian Michael Johnson.
Research on the environmental safety and toxicity of nanomaterials in fishes has had a global impact across both government and industry contributing to:
(i) Consensus building on biological effects allowing regulatory agencies/governments to make proper decisions on the hazard of nanomaterials to farmed fish and wildlife.
(ii) Critical evaluation of the internationally agreed process of toxicity testing to determine whether the current legislative test methods are fit for purpose and acceptable to the aquaculture industry.
(iii) Identification of national/international research priorities and policies via work with the OECD and the US Government.
(iv) Influencing government policy to support training and information for industry.
Research undertaken at Sheffield by Barkham and Hardy has led to a suite of self-report questionnaires assessing mental health and wellbeing. These measures are widely used as assessment and outcome measurement tools for patients, and include versions tailored for different populations. They accurately assess psychological problems and the outcomes of treatment, and enable the benchmarking of service delivery. The measures have been widely adopted nationally within the UK by statutory NHS services and voluntary sector services, as well as by university counselling services, employee assistance programmes, and private providers. The measures have been translated into 20 languages and taken up internationally. They have been instigated as a matter of policy by national government bodies and by practitioner organisations, been integrated into computerised interventions (a mode of delivery approved by NICE), provided local services with evidence for their effectiveness, and underpinned a commercial business. They support the delivery of high-quality services in the field of psychological therapies.