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PhD: Understanding surgeon and team expertise to enable safe and transparent early phase evaluation

Employer
Global Academy Jobs
Location
United Kingdom
Closing date
May 24, 2017

Job Details

Supervisors: Jane Blazeby (Professor of Surgery), Natalie Blencowe (Lecturer in Surgery) and a qualitative researcher (to be appointed).

Overview:

The University of Bristol is offering the opportunity for a clinically-active professional within the UK, in a speciality involving invasive procedures (e.g. surgery, cardiology, radiology, gastroenterology), to undertake a PhD in innovation of invasive procedures as part of the new NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Bristol. The award covers a clinical salary commensurate with experience, tuition fees (£4,195 in 17/18) and an allowance for research and training. The successful candidate would be expected to start their PhD in October 2017.

The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Bristol (BRC Bristol) is a partnership between University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol which will conduct cutting-edge research to develop new, ground-breaking treatments, diagnostics, prevention and care for patients in a wide range of diseases. Our Research Themes in Cardiovascular Research, Nutrition, Surgical Innovation Mental Health, , Diet and Lifestyle, Reproductive and Perinatal Health and are underpinned by Cross-Cutting Themes in Translational Population Science Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Informatics, as well as a Qualitative Research Network and work on patient and public involvement/engagement and training. Research in the BRC is multidisciplinary in nature, with researchers including surgeons of all specialities, bioethicists and social scientists, statisticians, public health physicians, psychologists, nutritionists, research dieticians, epidemiologists and geneticists.

The successful candidate will be a part of the Surgical Innovation Theme of the BRC, working with innovative clinicians across the BRC and the NHS as appropriate. They will also have opportunities to join the Qualitative Research Network, Biostatistics, Evidence Synthesis and Informatics Cross-Cutting Themes.

Background: The early evaluation of novel invasive techniques and surgery requires advance planning, regulation and leadership. The successful safe translation/adoption of a new technique, or its withdrawal and rejection, is influenced by several factors, including expertise. Expertise can relate to technical or non-technical skills (such as team working, communication, leadership, situational awareness and decision making) of the surgeon and also wider team members and several different teams are involved in the introduction or adoption of a new procedure. These include surgeons, the wider theatre teams, research teams and NHS governance oversight committees. Over the past decade there has been a huge emphasis on assessing surgeons' technical expertise (e.g. publication of individual surgeon's outcome data), and increased awareness on optimising teams to improve safety and reduce harms (e.g. WHO Checklist and the development of mandatory non-technical skills courses for surgical trainees). However, there has been little consideration for how teams contribute to the successful introduction of an innovative procedure or technique. The overall aim of this PhD is to explore and understand surgeon and team expertise to optimise safe surgical innovation and early adoption (or rejection) of new techniques.

Research questions: How does expertise influence the uptake of an innovative invasive procedure? Can this be optimised by developing guidance relating to the technical and non-technical expertise of surgeons and teams supporting innovation?

Methods: A variety of methodologies will be used to answer the research question within the PhD.

Case studies: In depth case studies will use mixed methods to explore how expertise and team working (technical and non-technical factors) may influence the uptake, adoption or rejection of novel procedure.

i) Literature work: Published literature and analyses of protocols of early phase studies will be systematically reviewed to understand what was reported about team expertise and assessment of surgeon skills

ii) Non-participant observation of meetings and operations in theatre: Ethnography supported with videos of procedures will be used to assess skills and understand these in the context of innovation and delivery and adoption of novel techniques.

iii) In-depth interviews with key stakeholders: Will be undertaken to understand how technical and non-technical expertise is valued, how it is assessed and documented and to explore how surgeon innovators, leaders and early adopters interact and train teams to safely deliver new techniques.

Consensus meetings: Will bring together the above to produce guidelines on the most appropriate way to assess expertise and to facilitate team working for safe introduction and adoption of novel innovations and techniques.

For references, candidate requirements and how to apply please see here

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 24th May 2017. Interviews will be held on Thursday 15th June.

You are strongly encouraged to contact the named supervisors to discuss your research proposal prior to submitting your application.

Contact email protected, email protected

 

Supervisors: Prof J Blazeby and Dr N Blencowe

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