Overview
Our approach to research and development (R&D) is central to the overall work of the Health Foundation. Evidence is at the heart of everything we do. In 2009 we launched a comprehensive and ambitious R&D programme which places an even stronger emphasis on research. It aims to make sure the research has a greater impact on policy and practice and encompasses a broad approach of systematic reviews, original research and case studies to explore what works to improve the quality of care.
Quality of healthcare in the UK
The field of quality improvement has expanded rapidly in recent years. To date there has not been enough national investment in developing the evidence base to guide improvement activity. Less than 2% of the UK’s R&D spend goes towards improving understanding of how health systems work and how to make sure the established knowledge is used to benefit patients. Currently there is also a lack of training opportunities for top quality researchers to learn about and lead improvement science.
The Health Foundation’s unique offering
The Health Foundation is in an excellent position to address challenges currently facing quality improvement activity in the UK. We have done extensive scoping work to identify where we can best add value. Our offering is unique because:
- we are able to optimise synergies between our research activity, programming activities and influencing work
- our endowment and independence enable us to develop a comprehensive perspective and long-term view
- we have a strong UK orientation complemented by good international links which enable us to draw on best practice world-wide.
Our R&D strategy aims to:
- strengthen the evidence base on how to improve quality in the healthcare systems of the UK
- use this body of knowledge to shape our own work programmes
- promote the evidence base to decision makers at all levels in the healthcare system
Our audience
Our research is tailored to a research literate audience who are under significant time pressures. Crucially we aim for credibility with brevity. We want to encourage a wide set of health leaders to use the Health Foundation as a source of knowledge and debate about how to improve services. We are developing a valuable body of R&D work for clinical and managerial decision makers as well as academics and policy makers.
Our R&D’s work focuses on four workstreams
- Best evidence – commissioning reviews of quality improvement literature
- Learning from practice – commissioning case studies about improvements in practice
- Primary research – commissioning original research within the Health Foundation’s strategic focus
- Building capacity for improvement science – commissioning training opportunities and investing in host organisations to develop leaders for research.
More information
Reports from our completed R&D projects can be downloaded or ordered free of charge from the Research reports section of this site.
For more information contact:
Sarah Campbell, Programme Manager
Tel. 020 7257 8000
Email Sarah Campbell
Jonathan Bamber, Research & Development Manager
Tel. 020 7257 8000
Email Jonathan Bamber
Helen Crisp, Senior Advisor
Tel. 020 7257 8000
Email Helen Crisp
Current research and development projects
Lining up: An ethnographic study of interventions to reduce central line infections
Primary research
Mary Dixon-Woods, Leicester University
Research into the behavioural and cultural reasons that affect the success of major safety interventions designed to reduce central venous catheter blood stream infections.
The Learning Communities Initiative
Primary research
John Gabbay, Southampton University
An interactive action research study with two sets of healthcare organisations into what helps or impedes learning about improvement across health services communities.
The role of hospital boards in assuring quality performance
Primary research
Arnold Epstein and Ashish Jha, Harvard School of Public Health
Building upon a comparable US study, interviews and surveys will explore the role played by hospital boards of directors in healthcare quality.
Journey to safety
Primary research
Charles Vincent, Imperial College
5-year research programme (2006-2011) working closely with the Health Foundation to examine how to improve the safety of an entire healthcare organization
Warwick and Imperial Study to Examine Reliability (WISER) Research
Primary research
Bryony Dean-Franklin, Imperial College
Research to describe healthcare system defects with the potential to cause harm to patients. The report will provide a potential model for organisational readiness for involvement in reliability interventions, and emerging findings from 5 topic areas observed across 7 NHS Trusts.
What is revalidation?
Primary research
Julian Archer, Peninsula Medical School
Ethnographic research to define what revalidation is and how it relates to quality of care and its improvement.
Generalism review
Best evidence
George Freeman
A rapid evidence review on the role of the generalist within the modern health system, focusing on their role in delivering high quality care.
Healthcare professionals’ views on clinician engagement in quality improvement
Best evidence
Huw Davies, St Andrews University
Evidence review updating the 2007 report
Does care co-ordination improve quality and save money?
Best evidence
John Ovretveit, Karolinska Institute
A review of the evidence of effectiveness of different approaches to co-ordination and how these approaches have reduced costs.
Improvement reports
Health Foundation improvement reports will bring together a summary of guidance on best practice, data on performance and a view from the Health Foundation on what needs to be done to bring practice in the UK up to the level of recommended practice. We aim to publish Improvement reports in September and December 2010 on the following topics:
Dementia care
As the population ages over the next 20–30 years, a major increase in the prevalence of dementia is projected. This has been reflected in policy developments such as the publication of the National Dementia Strategy in February 2009 and the implementation plan in July 2009.
While this has aimed to stimulate service developments, a recent report from the National Audit Office has suggested that improvement aspirations are not being realised. Our improvement report will bring together data on current practice, good practice guidance and case studies together with an assessment of the current quality gap.
Outpatient services
This research looks at how care is organised and systems which support high-quality services that are clinically relevant, reduce waste and enhance patient experience.
Questions have been raised by recent research about the costs of waste in outpatient services, particularly the number of patients not attending appointments, and about the value of appointments which serve no clinical purpose. There is scope for redesigning outpatient services to save costs and improve patients' experiences of care and this report will aim to contribute to thinking around service redesign.