Applying scientific methods and a participatory approach to generate an evidence base for how to improve quality and safety in healthcare
Delve into the evidence
AI, data & digital technology
Generating evidence to uncover what works, what doesn’t, and the changes needed for AI, data and digital technologies to improve healthcare
Hospital care
Working with patients, carers, and healthcare teams to understand what enables high‑quality hospital and tertiary care and how we can improve services
Maternity
Studying how to improve maternity outcomes for parents and babies through better prenatal, perinatal and postnatal services
Mental health
Working with mental health service users, carers and staff to improve primary and secondary mental healthcare
Methods
Developing innovative research methods and theories that present opportunities for healthcare improvement studies
Primary care
Co-designing improvements to initial points of contact between patients and the healthcare system, such as general practice
Systems and culture
Taking a whole system approach to understand how quality and safety arise from complex systems and organisational culture
COVID-19
Learning about new service models, workflows, and other changes in response to the practical and ethical challenges of the pandemic
Projects we’re working on
Explore large-scale research projects studying interventions and techniques aimed at improving quality and safety in healthcare. Projects are run in collaboration with NHS patients, staff, academics and the public.
Project
In progress
Hospital care
Precision recovery following critical illness
When people leave critical care, they often face problems that affect how they feel, their ability to work, and how they live day to day. Carers and families can also be affected.
Project
In progress
Systems and culture
The national evaluation of frailty care pathways
NHS England has been developing “frailty care pathways” that bring together health and social care services to provide coordinated, proactive, and person-centred support for people living with frailty.
Project
Recruiting
Systems and culture
How do doctors keep up to date with guidelines?
Clinical guidelines continually evolve, and doctors are expected to stay up to date with their recommendations in order to provide the best care to their patients.
Project
In progress
Hospital care
CanDo: a national online community collaborating to improve the quality of cancer care
CanDo is an online community bringing people together to improve the quality of cancer care.
Outputs of our work
Browse an expanding evidence base for the NHS about how to improve quality and safety in healthcare. We’re committed to publishing accessible and freely available outputs that are high quality, highly relevant, and scientifically excellent.
Output
Journal article
Seven lessons for financial incentivisation schemes in healthcare: a qualitative study of the Maternity Incentive Scheme
Evaluating the Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) and incentives for improving healthcare
Output
Journal article
Bringing modern risk-prediction tools into primary care: recommendations from experts
Risk prediction tools are designed to help GPs identify the patients who may be at higher risk of disease.
Output
Journal article
Willing to donate? Attitudes to deceased organ donation in different circumstances
Organ donation is important, but opportunities for donation are limited. All UK deceased organ donations are from people who die in intensive care after illness or accident.
Output
Journal article
A new organising framework for healthcare decarbonisation research
The NHS-SOS framework is intended to provide structure to the emerging field of research into the decarbonisation of healthcare.
