In September this year, several Public Health colleagues from NIHR ARC Northwest London (ARC NWL) and Imperial College London travelled to Istanbul to attend the prestigious40th International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) Conference, which focussed on 'Health for People and Planet: Building Bridges to a Sustainable Future'.
The team embarked on four days of dynamic content, including lightning talks, workshops, networking opportunities and poster receptions. The conference addressed critical areas, such as placing co-production at the heart of patient engagement, tackling health inequities and increasing sustainability for a healthier planet. Our researchers were among the 200 presenters.
Natasha Dsouza, ARC NWL’s Ethnicity & Health Unit Research Assistant, led a 15-minute lightning talk on enhancing diversity in health research through the Community Research Champions project. A hyper-local community-based approach in northwest London, funded by the Integrated Care Systems Research Engagement Network (ICS REN).
Communities championing their own health is crucial to providing sustainable and integrated health services in the future. However, the underrepresentation of ethnic minority groups in health research presents a significant challenge, especially given their higher risk of developing diseases. ARC NWL delivered the ICS REN initiative intending to address this disparity in North West London (NWL) through a community-based participatory research approach.
The REN initiative engaged over 1,200 NWL residents through 10 community-led health roadshows focused on the cost-of-living crisis. These events offered 597 health checks, community services, and opportunities for residents to engage in research. Community Research Champions from within these communities facilitated discussions that raised awareness about health research and encouraged participation. A Partnership Forum was established to strengthen collaboration between Primary Care Networks, statutory bodies, and academia, driving coordinated multi-agency efforts.
The project’s impact was felt in five key areas: building trust with community members, providing language support, fostering engagement with local health and research partners, providing a mechanism to understand community issues, and reducing isolation. Meeting communities in their own spaces and languages helped to break down barriers, with 75% of survey respondents from deprived areas expressing a willingness to engage in research, showing the effectiveness of this inclusive approach.
Derryn Lovett, GIS Analyst and Gloria Ihenetu, Research Assistant of ARC NWL’s Information & Intelligence Theme, delivered a short oral presentation on their study of medication review in patients on polypharmacy, using insights from integrated care data. Specifically, the study examined polypharmacy prevalence, medication costs, medication review provision and health inequalities associated with polypharmacy using integrated health record data of individuals registered with a GP practice in NWL in 2022 from the Whole Systems Integrated Care database. The study found that among 1.7 million adults, 9.4% were on polypharmacy, with higher prevalence linked to older age, socio-economic deprivation, and frailty. Racial disparities were also noted, with Black individuals having greater odds of polypharmacy as frailty increased. Significant variations in the provision of medication reviews were also observed based on demographic factors and GP practices. The findings of the study highlighted potential health inequalities and suggested further research to address disparities, improve care quality, and manage costs associated with polypharmacy. Overall, the presentation sparked a productive discussion amongst attendees about the importance of integrated care data, responsible stewardship of such data and utilising insights to drive improvement in the healthcare system.
Additionally, Professor Alex Bottle, Professor of Medical Statistics, presented variations in diagnostic guideline compliance for COPD, drawing from an Observational study of primary care in England.
The team also participated in the poster presentation session, with Ellie Mullins, a Research Associate in Digital Mental Health, and Lindsay Dewa, an Advanced Research Fellow, showcasing their work.
Lindsay Dewa Poster: Co-design of a digital intervention targeting social connection for young people aged 16-25 waiting for mental health treatment
Ellie Mullins Poster: Patient safety outcomes and unintended consequences of digital mental health interventions: PPI to inform a systematic review
Lindsay Dewa
Ellie Mullins
The ISQua 2024 Conference provided a valuable platform for NIHR ARC NWL and Imperial College London's Public Health team to share their insights and research, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on enhancing health equity and sustainability. Their participation highlights the institution's commitment to addressing pressing public health challenges and fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange within the global healthcare community. As the team returns to London, they carry forward new ideas and connections that will further advance their work in promoting health for both people and the planet.
This news story is written with the whole NIHR ARC NWL programme in mind.