Job title: PhD Studentship: Feedback conversations that improve prescribing practices: a sociomaterial study in the UK and Australia
Company: University of Exeter
Job description: Project Description:
The prescribing of medicines by healthcare professionals often results in errors. If we could improve prescribing practices, then we could reduce prescribing errors and improve patient safety. However, prescribing practices are hard to change because they involve complex processes in busy healthcare work environments and involve teams of healthcare professionals. We have demonstrated previously that feedback conversations about prescribing can reduce errors but unfortunately it has proved hard to prioritise and sustain these conversations in practice. These feedback conversations often refer to ‘materials’ used in prescribing practice such as prescriptions, drug charts, electronic medical records and patient instructions. Therefore, through this project, we want to change prescribing processes by adjusting ‘materials’ in order to enhance opportunities for feedback conversations about prescribing.
The research will involve three phases: * to identify which materials are used in prescribing processes, comparing the UK and Australia;
- to find out how these materials are used in practice by tracing them through patient journeys during different types of hospital stay; and,
- to work with our stakeholder group to design new materials that embed feedback conversations in everyday prescribing practices.
The PhD student will be supported by four supervisors, based in the UK and Australia, who are experienced researchers, doctoral supervisors and active clinicians (in education, pharmacy and medicine). The data collection will be conducted in both the UK and Australia, so it will be important that the successful candidate is prepared to spend time in Australia and excited by the possibilities of this international collaboration, which will compare two different health systems. Whilst in Australia, the research student will be hosted and supported by Dr Christy Noble at The University of Queensland, who will meet regularly with the student and ensure they are connected to relevant stakeholders (e.g. healthcare professionals) and collaborators. Ultimately the research will have been successful if the new materials are adopted and sustained, leading to better prescribing feedback conversations and fewer prescribing errors.
The research student will have regular supervision meetings with supervisory team members, comprising monthly full team supervision meetings (online to accommodate geography and time zones) and additional online and face-to-face meetings as needed. The student will join the Department of Health & Community Sciences at the University of Exeter Medical School. The University of Exeter has excellent facilities for doctoral students, including extensive library resources, training opportunities via the Doctoral College, a range of seminar series, and state of the art recreational facilities. They will also have access to training and support provided by the medical school and through the Peninsula Applied Research Collaboration.
Entry Requirements
Applicants for this studentship will typically have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of social or biomedical science. Experience of research or practice in a healthcare environment would be an advantage.
If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level as per our guidance at
The closing date for applications is midnight on Saturday 15 July 2023.
Interviews will be on 24th/25th July 2023.
From £18,622 annual stipend
Expected salary: £18622 per year
Location: Exeter
Job date: Fri, 09 Jun 2023 06:57:12 GMT
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