People, Systems and Services

We're a multidisciplinary mix of health service researchers and social scientists (psychologists, sociologists, implementation scientists). Some of us also have professional backgrounds, in pharmacy, nursing, midwifery and social work. Our work is primarily funded by the National Institute for Health Research (including programmes such as Health Services & Delivery Research, and Policy Research Pr

<h2>What do we do and why </h2> <p>We believe that the care and treatment that people experience in services being delivered in increasingly complex systems of health and social care depends on the people that work in these systems. We believe that “work” is not something undertaken unthinkingly and that the care and treatment people receive depends on the preparation, values, judgements and clinical decisions made with, for and by health and social care professionals and support staff – the workforce. Technology, innovations and research evidence is often cited as a solution to healthcare problems and uncertainties. But adopting health technologies and evidence-based innovation is not a passive process. It depends on the people targeted using and receiving these interventions and the contexts in which they are used. Technology, innovation, resource use and evidence-based practice are social phenomenon as well as technical and cognitive; we research these socio-technical processes and the impacts on services, patients and society.</p> <p>We think that understanding how people work in (and experience) systems and services, including how they reason, make judgements and decisions and use technologies, helps us design and evaluate ways of improving those systems and services to benefit members of the public, and to enable the workforce to meet the challenge of increasing demand and changing demography. We use a range of qualitative and quantitative research designs and methods to create this understanding. </p> <h2>Our work</h2> <ul> <li>Developing and evaluating “complex” interventions (for example, electronic dashboards for providing information on quality for health service staff) </li> <li>Exploring and modelling the relationship between health and social care workforce and quality of care and life for care home residents </li> <li>Estimating the costs and benefits associated with efforts improve quality attributable to the workforce in the NHS and Higher Education – for example, evaluating Values Based Recruitment</li> <li>Modelling and predicting how healthcare professionals reason (make judgements and decisions) about the uncertainties they face in clinical practice</li> <li>Developing, testing and evaluating novel ways of translating research evidence for healthcare professionals, commissioners, patients and carers</li> <li>Exploring the impact of new technologies on the delivery of healthcare (for example, how robotic surgery changes the division of labour within the operating theatre). </li> </ul> <h2>How we do our research</h2> <p>Working collaboratively is important to us. We work with researchers from other universities, patients, public, practitioners, providers, commissioners and policy makers to address questions of importance to local, national and international health and social care economies. All of our academics welcome enquiries from potential students and are always happy to provide MSc project topics linked to the group. We have strong working links to the care home industry and the University of Maastricht in particular.</p>

<p>To submit an application in this research area please complete an <a href="https://studentservices.leeds.ac.uk/pls/banprod/bwskalog_uol.P_DispLoginNon">online application form</a> and submit this alongside a research proposal, a full academic CV, degree transcripts (or marks so far if still studying) and degree certificates. If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence that you meet the Faculty’s minimum <a href="https://medicinehealth.leeds.ac.uk/faculty-graduate-school/doc/entry-requirements-1">English language requirements</a>.</p> <p><em>As an international research-intensive university, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. We foster an inclusive environment where all can flourish and prosper, and we are proud of our strong commitment to student education. Across all Faculties we are dedicated to diversifying our community and we welcome the unique contributions that individuals can bring, and particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to Black, Asian, people who belong to a minority ethnic community, people who identify as LGBT+ and people with disabilities. Applicants will always be selected based on merit and ability.</em></p>

<p>For further information please contact the Graduate School Office<br /> e: <a href="mailto:fmhpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk">fmhpgradmissions@leeds.ac.uk</a></p>