Research experience and challenges Seetal Jheeta Lead pharmacist, Medication Safety Research Centre for Medication Safety and Service Quality Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust We would like you to focus on how you got into your current research, hurdles, problems and successes and why you are undertaking research, with only a brief insight into the actual research itself! And all within the 10 minute maximum. North West London Research Symposium for Health Professionals 21 September 2016
April 2013: New insight into research Quality improvement project 1. Being part of a research team, collaboration with various people 2. Opportunity to present share findings 3. Practise based research – implementing change for improvement 4. Publications Confirmed that I wanted to pursue a career in medication safety and research
Why the MSc? MSc in Quality and Safety in Healthcare, Imperial College London Theoretical background to principles of patient safety and quality improvement in healthcare For healthcare professionals or those working in safety Required to have 3 years experience working in healthcare No need to have area of specialist interest 2 years part-time Supported and funded by pharmacy department Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
What was it about… Two parts Core topics: Taught component and research component Core topics: Managing risk in healthcare Understanding adverse events Quality improvement tools and techniques Research methods and applied statistics Leadership in healthcare / medico-legal skills Taught: lectures, workshops, tutorials, students presentations Incident reporting, investigation, analysis
Research component The causes of inpatient prescribing errors associated with the use of an electronic prescribing (EP) system in an English hospital Aims: To explore causes of prescribing errors associated with EP from prescribers’ perspectives To make recommendations to modify the system locally and more widely Qualitative evaluation: semi-structured interviews Thematic analysis using theoretical framework for analysis
Challenges Juggling studying with work/life Assessment deadlines 8 assignments 2 written exams Portfolio Dissertation
Positives Face-to-face teaching 14 students Expert speakers Different backgrounds Shared passion Challenged perspectives Expert speakers New perspectives
Positives Identify interests Deeper understanding of: Theoretical and practical issues in patient safety Adverse incidents Quality Improvement Research techniques
Future ? Patient / medication safety Specialist role in quality and safety Further research
Thank you for listening!