Lay attitudes towards risk in the context of screening, prevention and trial participation

Lead Research Organisation: University of Cambridge
Department Name: Public Health and Primary Care

Abstract

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Description This award was a postdoctoral fellowship award to extend, further-develop, publish and disseminate my doctoral research (on public attitudes towards the screening and prevention of cardiovascular disease in a public health setting, and participation in preventive randomised control trial) and postdoctoral research (on the impact and experiences of screening for type 2 diabetes in primary care).

The fellowship involved writing papers for publication in scientific journals and giving presentations on findings at invited seminars and academic conferences.

Briefly, the publications on screening for type 2 diabetes concluded that a stepwise approach to such screening in primary care had limited psychological impact in the people invited. A publication exploring people's views of aspirin as a preventive medication for cardiovascular disease revealed the moral dilemmas raised and demonstrated different ways in which people attempted to resolve these through the decisions they made. A publication exploring the views of people invited to participate in a randomised controlled trial outlined explanations for declining and stopping participation: including perceptions of necessity and risk.
Exploitation Route The findings have been taken forward since the end of this award (2008) by feeding into subsequent research projects and contemporary debate. For example, the publications related to the experiences and impact of screening made a significant contribution to the debate about psyhological harms and benefits of screening for type 2 diabetes in primary care - which has been relevant due to the subsequent introduction of the NHS Healthchecks. The two publications in the BMJ continue to be accessed over 7 years after publication and have both been widely cited.
Sectors Healthcare
 
Description In addition to the findings feeding into contemporary debates about screening in primary care (see 'key findings' section), the findings have been and continue to be used in various teaching settings at different institutions for example in masters in health psychology and MSc diabetes - the students on the latter being predominantly practitioners, a high proportion of whom are international). The findings related to preventive medicine were presented at a dissemination event organised by the NIHR CLAHRC (Birmingham & Black Country): 'Using sociology to help prevent cardiovascular disease' - an event focused on linking sociological work in the area to the application of it in practice.
First Year Of Impact 2008
Sector Education,Healthcare