Scott Bowley, Advanced Practice MSK Physiotherapist, Hilary Cox, Advanced Physiotherapist and Ellen Lyell, Specialist Dietitian have all recently started their Integrated Clinical Academic programme internship scheme (ICA), awarded by the National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR).
The Internship is the foundation programme of the NIHR Integrated Clinical and Practitioner Academic career development pathway and is now funded by NHS England.
The key components to the internship programme are:
- A Clinical Academic Research Experience (30 days) supported by supervision and research mentorship.
- An Educational Learning Package comprising of 2 days face to face learning and 4 half days of online learning.
Scott Bowley is an Advanced Practice MSK Physiotherapist working at the Tyneside Integrated Musculoskeletal Services known as TIMS
This joint Newcastle and Gateshead service offers self-care advice and fast access to expert opinion, diagnosis and treatment of a variety of muscle, joint and soft tissue conditions including persistent pain.
Scott explains “I was attracted to the Internship due to my increasing interest in clinical research, and my desire to move along a path integrating clinical work with research and teaching.
“Having worked in physiotherapy services for 18 years I have seen a change in the delivery of MSK care and recognise the increasing focus on evidence-based practice.”
Scott proposes to undertake a project measuring the impact of an Osteoarthritis group consultation on patient self-efficacy as measured using the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale – a widely used self-report measure of beliefs reflecting confidence in one’s capacity to function despite pain and control pain or other symptoms of arthritis.
He hopes to investigate any potential correlation between improvements in self-efficacy and improvements in the Oxford score (a joint-specific, patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess function and pain) to help determine if self-efficacy is a mediator of functional improvement.
“I hope that by engaging in a research project myself, and better recognising the pit falls and challenges in clinical research, that I will be better able to understand and embed research into my practice leading to better quality patient care.”
Hilary Cox is an Advanced Physiotherapist at Newcastle’s Falls and Syncope Service
Newcastle’s Multi-professional led Falls and Syncope Service investigates, diagnoses and helps patients experiencing falls, syncope (blackouts and/or loss of consciousness), gait and balance disorders as well as dizziness and vertigo.
Hilary explains the process that led her to applying: “I had only recently attended a conference where I had met a researcher from Newcastle University working on patient population that is similar to my clinical practice when I noticed this research funding in the ‘In Brief’ communications one week.
“I contacted the researcher I met to discuss the possibility of applying for this funding to enable me to work alongside them – we identified an area of interest to both the research team and my clinical work.’
Hilary will be analysing gait laboratory data of older adults during turning activities to look at markers to predict those at risk of falls.
As an Advanced Physiotherapist working in the falls service Hilary hopes this research will help the team understand which clinical tests to use, or further develop, to gain a better understanding of what happens to balance during turning which is a common cause for falls in older adults.
She adds “I would encourage seeking access to CPD support to be able to attend regional meetings and conferences which offer great opportunities to network. There is so much potential for collaboration if we only reach out of the immediate team in which we work.”
Ellen Lyell is a Specialist Dietitian specialising in Pancreatic Surgery
Ellen’s proposed project is to assess patients’ reported compliance when prescribed Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) – the foundation of treatment for patients with Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency (PEI) which is associated with improved survival and quality of life.
Ellen explains “I was interested in the NIHR’s ICA internship as a way to develop my research skills in a clinical setting.
“As a surgical dietitian working regularly with patients with PEI, my clinical experience highlighted that many patients struggle to recall advice given and may be administering PERT dosage inadequately, which can significantly impact symptom burden and nutritional status.
“I hope this project provides an opportunity to identify ways to improve the support these patients receive, investigating their experience, understanding and any barriers to taking PERT, with the ultimate aim of improving their quality of life.”
Congratulations!
