Optimising targeted delivery of mental health and lifelong well being interventions in Scotland
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Strathclyde
Department Name: Inst of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sci
Abstract
People living in Scotland are more likely to have mental-health problems, long-term illnesses or die early than people living in the rest of the UK or most of Europe. Much of this ill health is preventable and is linked to unhealthy lifestyles, for example there are high rates of smoking, drinking alcohol, drug abuse and unhealthy eating habits. This means that Scotland is a good base for research aiming to improve health and wellbeing, because there is a lot of room for health improvement, and a lot of people could benefit.
This funding would build a Scotland-wide network of university based researchers, senior health service managers and members of the public to develop a programme of applications for research funding which would aim to support health improvement in Scotland. The proposed research will design, develop and assess community pharmacy services, aiming to promote life long health and wellbeing. This research is important because the pharmacist?s role has expanded recently, in part, to allow people to use a greater range of health services without going to their GP or hospital. In Scotland new pharmacy services include minor illness schemes, stop smoking services, and services to improve medicine use. Services such as drug abuse services, screening for drinking problems, weight management programmes, and blood pressure monitoring are available in some areas, depending on local needs. Many of these community-pharmacy led services are new and few have been properly researched.
The network will build a centre of health service/pharmacy practice research at the Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (Glasgow), one of the UK?s best pharmacy research centres. This funding would create a unique national working relationship between all of Scotland?s pharmacy practice research teams as well as building research links with other related subject areas such as health economics, statistics, psychology and medical sociology. This will introduce new methods to pharmacy practice research. This will make it likely that the research designed by the network will be funded in the future and potentially increase the impact of the research on health outcomes in Scotland and internationally.
The network would conduct six workshops to build research links, develop a research plan, and prepare research funding applications. This research would benefit [1] patients, by improving services [2] health service managers, who could design research to help them make decisions [3] the general public, by making the best use of money spent on healthcare.
This funding would build a Scotland-wide network of university based researchers, senior health service managers and members of the public to develop a programme of applications for research funding which would aim to support health improvement in Scotland. The proposed research will design, develop and assess community pharmacy services, aiming to promote life long health and wellbeing. This research is important because the pharmacist?s role has expanded recently, in part, to allow people to use a greater range of health services without going to their GP or hospital. In Scotland new pharmacy services include minor illness schemes, stop smoking services, and services to improve medicine use. Services such as drug abuse services, screening for drinking problems, weight management programmes, and blood pressure monitoring are available in some areas, depending on local needs. Many of these community-pharmacy led services are new and few have been properly researched.
The network will build a centre of health service/pharmacy practice research at the Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (Glasgow), one of the UK?s best pharmacy research centres. This funding would create a unique national working relationship between all of Scotland?s pharmacy practice research teams as well as building research links with other related subject areas such as health economics, statistics, psychology and medical sociology. This will introduce new methods to pharmacy practice research. This will make it likely that the research designed by the network will be funded in the future and potentially increase the impact of the research on health outcomes in Scotland and internationally.
The network would conduct six workshops to build research links, develop a research plan, and prepare research funding applications. This research would benefit [1] patients, by improving services [2] health service managers, who could design research to help them make decisions [3] the general public, by making the best use of money spent on healthcare.
Technical Summary
Scotland?s population has worse mental health, more chronic illness and lower life expectancy than the UK overall or most of Europe. Much of the excess mortality is associated with lifestyle, for example smoking, alcohol consumption, substance abuse and poor diet. Consequently, Scotland is an ideal base for research to evaluate and improve mental health and lifelong health and wellbeing interventions because of the potential for health improvement.
This funding would build a national, multi-disciplinary, network of academics, policy-makers and service-users to develop a programme of policy relevant research proposals, to support Scottish health priorities and initiatives. The network would work with established research networks (e.g. public health, mental health and health economics) to build pharmacy practice research capacity in high priority areas. Specifically, the programme will design, develop and evaluate innovative, targeted, community based pharmacy services, informed by analysis of routinely held prescribing data, to promote life long health and wellbeing. Research in this area is important because recent UK government policy initiatives have increased the scope of the pharmacist?s role to promote healthy ageing, independence and wellbeing in later life. Pharmacists are pioneering an ever increasing range of community based screening services, as well as health promotion and self care initiatives. Core elements of the new Scottish contract include minor ailment schemes, smoking cessation schemes, and services to improve medication use. Services such as substance misuse services, screening for hazardous drinking, weight management programmes, and blood pressure monitoring are examples of roles delivered to a greater or lesser extent under locally negotiated schemes. Many of these community based pharmacy led services are relatively new and few have been robustly evaluated.
The network will establish a centre of pharmaco-epedemiology and health service/pharmacy practice research at the Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (Glasgow), one of the UK?s foremost pharmacy research centres. This funding would create a unique national working relationship between all of Scotland?s pharmacy practice research teams as well as building collaborations with established epidemiologists, health economists, statisticians, psychologists and medical sociologists. This will introduce new methodologies and approaches to pharmacy practice research, strengthen funding applications and lead to nationally and internationally relevant research findings.
The network would conduct six workshops to establish collaborations, develop a cohesive research strategy, and prepare funding applications. This would benefit [1] service-users, by optimising services [2] policy-makers, who could influence the research agenda [3] society, by maximising the benefits of investment in healthcare.
This funding would build a national, multi-disciplinary, network of academics, policy-makers and service-users to develop a programme of policy relevant research proposals, to support Scottish health priorities and initiatives. The network would work with established research networks (e.g. public health, mental health and health economics) to build pharmacy practice research capacity in high priority areas. Specifically, the programme will design, develop and evaluate innovative, targeted, community based pharmacy services, informed by analysis of routinely held prescribing data, to promote life long health and wellbeing. Research in this area is important because recent UK government policy initiatives have increased the scope of the pharmacist?s role to promote healthy ageing, independence and wellbeing in later life. Pharmacists are pioneering an ever increasing range of community based screening services, as well as health promotion and self care initiatives. Core elements of the new Scottish contract include minor ailment schemes, smoking cessation schemes, and services to improve medication use. Services such as substance misuse services, screening for hazardous drinking, weight management programmes, and blood pressure monitoring are examples of roles delivered to a greater or lesser extent under locally negotiated schemes. Many of these community based pharmacy led services are relatively new and few have been robustly evaluated.
The network will establish a centre of pharmaco-epedemiology and health service/pharmacy practice research at the Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (Glasgow), one of the UK?s foremost pharmacy research centres. This funding would create a unique national working relationship between all of Scotland?s pharmacy practice research teams as well as building collaborations with established epidemiologists, health economists, statisticians, psychologists and medical sociologists. This will introduce new methodologies and approaches to pharmacy practice research, strengthen funding applications and lead to nationally and internationally relevant research findings.
The network would conduct six workshops to establish collaborations, develop a cohesive research strategy, and prepare funding applications. This would benefit [1] service-users, by optimising services [2] policy-makers, who could influence the research agenda [3] society, by maximising the benefits of investment in healthcare.
