by Dr Nicky Eddison, Dr Aoife Healy, and Professor Nachiappan Chockalingam

A research culture is essential in healthcare, ensuring we continually strive to provide healthcare which is based on the best available evidence.  It is recognised that research active organisations provide a higher quality of care and improved patient safety¹. The UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research describes research as ‘a core function of health and social care’¹  and the NHS Long Term Plan² identifies research as a key driver for all professions to improve future health outcomes¹.

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are a group of distinct and diverse healthcare professions, marking up the third largest clinical workforce in the NHS³. Accumulating four million patient contacts per week⁴. This provides AHPs with an excellent context for carrying out research due to their access to patients and the opportunity for clinically driven research questions. In England, there are 14 allied health professions, of which prosthetists and orthotists are the smallest. Clinical academic pathways have long been underdeveloped in the UK⁵ which has hindered research growth due to the low numbers of AHPs working in clinical academic roles¹. In January 2022 Health Education England launched its first ever AHP-specific research strategy⁶ with the aim of i) transforming AHP professional identities, culture, and roles; ii) delivering excellence in research and practice; and iii) ensuring the inclusion of AHP research and innovation in national strategic research agendas¹.

Prosthetics and orthotics has had a workforce shortage for many years⁷, it has historically been undervalued and often ‘hidden’, leading to silo working⁸. Potential research opportunities are often difficult to realise for prosthetists and orthotists.  Our research team at Staffordshire University developed a ‘Research Hub’. The research hub aims to give prosthetists and orthotists an opportunity to be involved in research projects pertinent to the prosthetic and orthotic profession, working alongside a team of experienced researchers who have successfully published over 100 research papers and continue to work on a wide range of research projects.

The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) were keen to support the Research Hub, recognising the value to its members. As a result, the initiative was launched in 2021. The application to join the research hub was open to BAPO members and was a great success with 45 prosthetists and orthotists applying to take part, highlighting the appetite from prosthetists and orthotists to engage with research. The research team chose four applicants to take part in our first research Hub project, which explored the ‘representation of the allied health professions in senior leadership positions in the UK National Health Service’.

The project is now complete, and a paper has been submitted for peer-reviewed publication.

The experience of prosthetists and orthotists taking part in the Staffordshire University and BAPO Research Hub

 

Nina Darke: Orthotist

Being part of the ‘Research Hub’ was a great experience, and I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity. I learned so much about the research process starting from literature searches right through to the submission of articles for publication. The support from such an experienced and knowledgeable team was invaluable and unique. I would promote the Research Hub to any clinicians with an interest in research, but I would also encourage managers of prosthetic and orthotic services to support their staff to apply. The possibility of time allocated for this work each week would open the opportunity to more prosthetic and orthotic clinicians so we can start to see the research being embedded into the culture of our profession. Huge thanks to Nicky and the team for their work with this initiative, can’t wait to see the finished article in print!

 

Gwen Griffith: Prosthetist

I have always been keen to grow my role to include research, but without local support, the idea was daunting and never took priority over my clinical practice. The Research Hub has given me the opportunity to enter research with a support network to guide, motivate, and most importantly keep the project at the forefront of my mind. I gave birth during the duration of our project and the flexibility, teamwork, and support I received from the Research Hub were paramount. To me, the success of the project is not measured by the published paper itself, the success is that it has broadened my horizons and expanded what I think my role is in prosthetics, giving me a new enthusiasm for it. I am really proud of what we have achieved, and I am keen to stay involved with the project, with my ultimate goal being to lead a research group locally. I think the Research Hub itself is a fantastic initiative which will benefit our community I hope over time it can transform how our profession views and engages with research, and hopefully how other AHPs engage with us!

 

Millar Leask: Orthotist

My interest in research stemmed from my undergraduate and later postgraduate time. However, simply keeping abreast of the challenges faced whilst being a clinician in the NHS meant that research took a back seat to an extent, and both the clinical and administrative tasks revolving around the running of a service took priority. Being part of the research hub, allowed for this interest to become reality, whilst also acting as a safe space to really navigate and learn the world of research.

The research hub’s core team meant that I could voice ideas and thoughts without judgment, whilst also keeping us on target to complete the research. The setting of tasks and targets has been fantastically flexible to allow for all our individual schedules to work together, particularly my own which was hectic during the midst of the process due to job changes.

This opportunity has been exceptional, as it’s acted as a gateway into research, and I would encourage all to take the leap should they be interested.

Future projects

A second project with a new cohort of applicants is currently underway. We have plans to create additional projects and provide more prosthetists and orthotists with opportunities to engage with research.

*The prosthetist and orthotist avatars were adapted from Health Education England

References

1. Comer, Collings, Mccracken, Payne, Moore. Allied health professionals ’ perceptions of research in the United Kingdom national health service?: a survey of research capacity and culture. BMC Health Serv Res. 2022:1-13.
2. The National Health Service. The NHS Long Term Plan.; 2019.
3. Hindle, Charlesworth. UK Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework 2019-2024. Public Heal Engl Allied Heal Prof Fed. 2019. http://www.ahpf.org.uk/files/UK AHP Public Health Strategic Framework 2019-2024.pdf.
4. Dougall, Buck. My Role in Tackling Health Inequalities A Framework for Allied Health Professionals.; 2021. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/tackling-health-inequalities-framework-allied-health-professionals.
5. Westwood, Richardson, Latter, Macleod Clark, Fader. Building clinical academic leadership capacity: sustainability through partnership. J Res Nurs JRN. 2018;23(4):346.
6. Health Education England. Allied Health Professions ’ Research and Innovation Strategy for England. https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/allied-health-professions/enable-workforce/allied-health-professions’-research-innovation-strategy-england. Published 2022.
7. Chockalingam, Eddison, Healy. A cross-sectional survey of orthotic service provision in the UK: Does where you live affect the service you receive? BMJ Open. 2019;9(10):1-11.
8. NHS England. Improving the Quality of Orthotics Services in England.; 2015. available: https://www. england. nhs. uk/ commissioning/ wpcontent/%0Auploads/ sites/ 12/ 2015/ 11/ orthcs- final- rep. pdf [Accessed 8%0ANov 2018].