We were excited to be back together online on 26th June for our regular research evening, which brings together AHPs interested in and doing research across the East Anglia Region. We’re finding the virtual platform for these meetings is helping AHPs to attend by cutting out the travelling time in our busy days, so this will be our chosen format going forward.
Lynsey Spillman, hepatology dietitian at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS, kicked off the evening with a presentation about systematic review work that looked at nutritional intake and determinants of this after liver transplant. This was a project that Lynsey led as part of her NIHR doctoral research fellowship. She collaborated with other dietitians, medical students, student dietitians and academics to complete the work.
Next, Noelle Clerkin, PhD student at University of Suffolk and Advanced Radiography Practitioner told us about her ongoing project investigating characteristics associated with high interpretation performance amongst Radiography Advanced Practitioners involved in breast cancer screening. Noelle is recruiting Radiographers to better understand factors that impact image interpretation. This work will optimise radiography led reporting, which requires a lot of skill and training – it is like finding Wally in a black and white picture! Noelle has been invited to present this work at the European Congress of Radiology in Vienna.
Ciara O’Connor, Hepatology Dietitian at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS, presented her research ideas and plans for her NIHR Doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship, which she will present at her upcoming East of England Bridging fellowship Interview. Ciara plans to develop and validate methods of monitoring nutritional status for patients at home with liver cirrhosis and ascites to identify weight loss and malnutrition. This is important work that is needed to be able to deliver effective remote dietetic care to this patient group.
Finally, Ruth Strudwick, Associate Professor and the Subject Lead for Radiography and Interprofessional Learning in the School of Health and Sports Sciences at the University of Suffolk, presented. Her research explored diagnostic radiographers’ experiences through the COVID pandemic using interpretive phenomenology. Five themes emerged with key findings that are relevant to practice now. Ruth and her co-authors work is published here: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2021.10.016
As ever, we are so impressed with the amazing AHP research that is going on in our region and love the opportunity to come together with our AHP colleagues to learn about it.
Join us for our next research evening on 19th October 2022 at 17.30-19.30. If you would like to attend, please contact Ruth via email at r.strudwick@uos.ac.uk. Do come and present your research or research ideas to us, we’d love to hear about it.
