Research groups

Research group lead name and contact details

James Bailey Email: j.bailey4@keele.ac.uk

Also see www.keele.ac.uk/mrr for further information.

Research group information

The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Group aims to advance research excellence and innovation in the use of electronic health records and linked data for research in musculoskeletal and other conditions.

We work in multidisciplinary teams of methodologists and clinicians across the research groups within the Centre for Musculoskeletal Health Research, as well as other research themes within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Research topic areas

Within the Centre for Musculoskeletal Health Research, we aim to use EHR to:

Describe the burden of musculoskeletal conditions in health and social care including their prevalence, incidence, management and trends over time;
Describe the most likely future outcome and course of musculoskeletal conditions;
Identify risk factors for poorer outcome and improve prediction of these outcomes;
Identify factors predicting benefit or harm from specific interventions.

Research group lead name and contact details

Dr Z Paskins - z.paskins@keele.ac.uk

Research group topic areas and current projects

Keele’s osteoporosis research group is a multidisciplinary group concerned with research which improves the identification and care of people with, or at risk of, osteoporosis and fractures.

The group uses a variety of research methods including mixed methods studies, clinical epidemiology and trials, qualitative research alongside patient and public involvement and engagement to answer important questions to people living with osteoporosis and their carers.

Specific areas of interest

Identifying and/or exploring:

incidence and prevalence of osteoporosis and fracture in rheumatological conditions
outcomes after fractures, including mental health outcomes such as suicide and self-harm
inequalities in care e.g., gender
effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions
real world data on safety effectiveness and experience of osteoporosis therapies

Improving and promoting:

shared decision-making and person-centred care
education and awareness, addressing common myths
medicines optimisation and concordance (adherence)
monitoring of, and concordance with osteoporosis therapies e.g., using biochemical markers
primary care management, addressing clinician’s decision-making needs

Active studies include:

iFraP: Improving Fracture Prevention. A 5-year study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinician Scientist Award (Paskins), Royal Osteoporosis Society and Haywood Foundation to develop and evaluate the ‘iFraP’ intervention. The iFraP osteoporosis intervention includes a Decision Support Tool, clinician training package, and information resources, with the aim to improve shared decision-making about osteoporosis medicines in Fracture Liaison Service appointments.
INDEX: Improving understanding of bone density (DXA) scans. This 2-year funded study by the Royal Osteoporosis Society aims to explore patient and clinician understanding of bone density (DXA) scans and reports, and to produce recommendations and knowledge mobilisation resources to enhance DXA understanding and communication.
Addressing the osteoporosis care gap in UK primary care: a mixed methods study. This study is funded by a Versus Arthritis Clinical Research Fellowship. The study aims to examine current practice in the identification, investigation and management of osteoporosis in primary care, and understand the barriers to and facilitators of evidence-based practice.
Understanding how osteoporosis is represented in mainstream media

Current collaborations include:

VFRAC University of Bristol. Working with Professor Emma Clark and colleagues on research relating to the Vfrac tool to improve the identification of people with osteoporotic vertebral fractures
PHORM Northumbria University. Working with Dr Andrew Sturrock and colleagues to develop a clinical pharmacist-led intervention to support medicines optimisation for people with osteoporosis, informed by the iFraP intervention
Mayo Clinic. Secondary analysis of video recorded GP consultations about bone health to understand how beliefs about osteoporosis and osteoporosis medicines are elicited and addressed by clinicians in clinical encounters.

Osteoporosis Community of Practice

We have an active osteoporosis Community of Practice (CoP). Our online community includes individuals who are interested in shaping osteoporosis research at Keele University. CoP members have a shared goal of improving care for people with, or at risk of, osteoporosis and includes people with osteoporosis and/or their carers, healthcare professionals, industry representatives, researchers and knowledge mobilization experts.

Osteoporosis Research User Group:

We have an active Osteoporosis Research User Group (RUG). The RUG includes individuals with osteoporosis, fragility fractures and their carers. The group has supported several successful projects and funding applications.

Research group lead name and contact details

Dr Emma Healey - e.healey@keele.ac.uk

Research group topic areas and current projects examples

The impact of comorbidity on physical activity and clinical outcomes in those with Osteoarthritis in primary care.
Outcomes, feasibility and acceptability of primary care nurse led review for CVD, mood and bone health in people with Inflammatory Arthritis.
Is health literacy taken into account in primary care based multimorbidity interventions.
The impact of pre-existing MSK pain on outcomes of other conditions.
The acceptability and feasibility of screening for joint pain and mood in primary care based LTC reviews.

We currently have over 25 members ranging from early career researchers to senior researchers and have both lab-based and applied health research expertise.

The chronic pain research group brings together people with research interests relating to all aspects of chronic pain including assessment, management, analgesic prescribing and epidemiology.

Research group lead name and contact details

Julie Ashworth - j.ashworth@keele.ac.uk

Research group topic areas and current projects

Chronic pain management

PROMPPT (Proactive clinical Review of patients prescribed Opioid Medicines for persistent Pain led by clinical Pharmacists in primary care Teams) Improving care for patients who are prescribed long-term opioids for persistent pain. www.promppt.co.uk

Trends in gabapentinoid prescribing and risk of adverse events: an observational study in UK primary care using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

PINTO: PerspectIves oN opioid use for persisTant nOn-palliative pain in the oldest old

TAPER-Pain Testing the Activity Pacing questionnaire for validity, rEliability and Responsiveness: an outcome measure for chronic Pain

Chronic pain epidemiology

CHIPP High Impact Chronic Pain and UK Biobank: presentation, transitions, and targets for intervention (Chronic High Impact Pain Project) Workpackage 2: Study exploring how traumatic events and experience impact on chronic pain, using data from UK Biobank.

This is a multidisciplinary group with a shared research and clinical interest in spine-related pain. The aims of the group are:

Ideas: Generate ideas and research priorities for future research

Funding: Generate forward funding plans and funding streams

Students: Identify and support development of PhD/MPhil/MSc projects

Peer support: of funding applications/ research ideas/ planned publications

Collaborations: Identify high quality collaborations for the group

Research group lead name and contact details

Dr Siobhán Stynes - s.stynes@keele.ac.uk

Research group topic areas and current projects

Current projects members are involved in

Sciatica: Predictors of outcome following epidural spinal injections (POiSE cohort study, NIHR)
Medication in acute low back pain (MEDAL trial, NIHR)
UK-Saudi selfSTarT
SupportBack 2: Supporting self-management of low back pain with an internet intervention in primary care (NIHR)
CAM-Pain includes spinal pain in children & young people
Evidence reviews to underpin a guideline for Axial Spondyloarthropathy
Investigating bacteria in LBP patients (with and without Modic changes) who are undergoing surgery
TAPER-Pain study: validation of an activity pacing questionnaire for chronic pain
Accelerometry to measure physical activity and sedentary behaviour among those with chronic pain (including chronic low back pain)
POPPY study: developing a service model for pain management among older people with frailty
Self STarT - implementation of a digital pain App in the NHS with FCPs (NHSx Digital)
BOOST Implementation Study : spinal stenosis rehabilitation

Topic areas of interest

Overall management of spinal pain. Assessment, Diagnosis, Prognosis Interventions, Stratified/personalised care.
Optimising Implementation of best practice for spinal pain management
Lived experience of spinal pain
Impact of spinal pain on ability to work and how work impacts on peoples’ pain.
Basic Science: understanding cell biology of Intervertebral discs in health and disease
Identify novel therapeutic targets to treat IVD degeneration
Epidemiology & primary care management, spinal pain in children, young people and emerging adults.
Neuropathic pain in back related leg pain
Delayed diagnosis inflammatory back pain.
Training of AHPs
Delegation of workforce
Spinal pain in end of life and palliative care

Name of Research Group

MSK Digital Health Technologies

Research Group lead name and contact details

Prof Jonathan Hill - J.hill@keele.ac.uk

Research Group keywords

Digital health technologies, eHealth, MSK

Research Group topic areas & current projects

Topics

Digital treatment & data collection.

Current projects members are involved in

iFRAP
Orthopathways
National MSK Audit
MIDAS
Ian’s PROM project
SelfSTarT
PhD projects
other Fellowships
SupportPRIM
Toby’s data project

Additional information

We meet twice a year. If people want more information they can contact Michelle Press.