The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Brunel University London are providing a PhD studentship with full funding and a training budget to co-design and undertake feasibility and acceptability testing of a very brief behavioural change intervention to increase referral and uptake rates for pulmonary rehabilitation amongst people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
College / Directorate
College of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences
Department
Department of Health Sciences
College of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences
Ph.D studentship to increase engagement in pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Brunel University London are providing a PhD studentship with full funding and a training budget to co-design and undertake feasibility and acceptability testing of a very brief behavioural change intervention to increase referral and uptake rates for pulmonary rehabilitation amongst people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This studentship will be based in the Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Medicine and Life Sciences at Brunel University London and funded by the NIHR as part of Dr Claire Nolan’s Advanced Fellowship and Brunel University London. It will offer a basic salary in line with the UKRI stipend of approx. £20,662, Home/EU tuition fees, for a maximum of 36 months, and a training budget of £2,951 to develop skills required to undertake the project. The preferred start date is January 2nd 2025.
Overview
Pulmonary rehabilitation, an exercise and education programme for people with a lung disease called COPD, improves breathlessness and decreases the frequency of hospitalisations. National data report that pulmonary rehabilitation referral and uptake rates are low, with ethnic minority groups, those living in deprived areas, women and older people less likely to be referred. Increasing the number of people receiving pulmonary rehabilitation is an urgent research priority.
Very Brief Advice, which is widely used in the NHS, is an evidence-based behavioural change approach that increases the referral rate to smoking cessation services and uptake of smoking cessation. It involves an online training programme for healthcare professionals that provides training in Very Brief Advice. As referral and uptake are behavioural issues, adapting Very Brief Advice, a behavioural change approach, to enable healthcare workers to discuss pulmonary rehabilitation with patients may be a plausible way to increase referral and uptake rates.
The PhD project will involve co-design and investigation of the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a full-scale cluster-randomised controlled trial of a very brief behaviour change approach, for healthcare professionals to assist conversations on pulmonary rehabilitation with people with COPD. The doctoral researcher will undertake both qualitative and quantitative research, including focus groups, co-design workshops, and mixed-method feasibility cohort study. With the support of Dr Nolan, they will lead on patient and public involvement activities and be a member of the study’s independent advisory group and trial steering committee.
We envisage that data generated from this PhD will help to inform a future full-scale trial of the proposed intervention.
The project will involve collaboration with patient and public involvement representatives, National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training, patient support networks, primary and secondary care centres and Dr Nolan’s wider research team.
The successful candidate will be supervised by Dr Claire Nolan (Dr Claire Nolan | Introduction | Brunel University London ) and Prof Cherry Kilbride (Professor Cherry Kilbride | Introduction | Brunel University London ), with developmental support provided by Dr Emma Norris (Dr Emma Norris | Introduction | Brunel University London )
For informal discussions about this studentship, please contact Dr Claire Nolan ([email protected] ).
Eligibility
Candidates should have an undergraduate degree (first or upper second class) or equivalent qualification in a health science subject, behavioural science or psychology. A Master's qualification in an area relevant to the proposed project, experience working in the NHS or healthcare environment, and undertaking research with people living with chronic respiratory disease would be desirable. Applicants who have not been awarded a degree by a University in the UK will be expected to demonstrate English language skills to IELTS 7.0 (minimum 6.0 in any section).
How to Apply
If you wish to apply, please e-mail the following to [email protected] by 14th April 2024.
- An up-to-date CV.
- A single-page A4 single-spaced personal statement stating why you are a suitable candidate (i.e. outlining your qualifications and skills).
- One example of your academic writing (e.g. an essay, a section from an undergraduate or a Masters dissertation).
- A summary of your teaching experience or the teaching activities you feel you could support.
- Names and contact details for two academic referees.
- A copy of your highest degree certificate and transcript.
- A copy of your English language qualification, where applicable.
Short-listed applicants will be required to attend an interview. Applicants chosen for interview will be instructed to submit a formal online application via Admissions. Interviews will follow shortly after the application deadline.
For further information about how to apply, please contact the College of Health and Life Sciences Postgraduate Research Student Office on [email protected]