Health Services & Global Health
The increasing burden of chronic conditions has been described as one of the greatest global challenges facing health systems and health services in the 21st century. The Health Services & Global Health Research Group focuses on improving health services and care for people with chronic conditions by conducting investigations of issues and problems such as need and demand for services, service organisation and delivery, health care quality and efficiency and the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health service interventions. We have several key interdisciplinary research strands which focus on the global challenges of addressing chronic health care. The HSRG comprises also an international strand of Global Health and Health Care Research (led by our Global Health Champion, Professor Nathan Congdon – see below). Key interdisciplinary strands of research include:
- Chronic health care research and policy – with an emphasis on services for older people, people who are living with cancer and people with mental health problems
- Methodological studies regarding how to enhance the rigour of all our health services studies, randomised controlled trials and Cochrane reviews
- Health economics and policy - (similar to the Methodological Studies strand) is an integral part of most studies undertaken by the HSRG, particularly in terms of economic appraisal
- Oral health care research focusing on gerodontology, head and neck cancer and nutrition
- Ophthalmology and eye health care research includes ways of meeting the increasing demand for clinical services and investigating the reconfiguration of locus of treatment delivery
- Global health and health care research include the international Global Centre for Translational Research for Equitable Eye care (TREE) and studies of cancer care, diabetes and other NCDs in lower and middle income countries.
The main funders of our research grants include: NIHR, EU FP7, Marie Curie, NI PHA R&D, MRC, ESRC, RoI Health Research Board and the international Newton Fund.
There are easily-travelled pathways between the HSRG and the other research groups in CPH and other research centres in the QUB School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. Many researchers in CPH work across research groups and research centres to conduct collaborative public health and health services research with the HSRG and care professional colleagues in health services, here and internationally.
We have a thriving postdoctoral research community including clinical research fellows and up to 25 PhD students at any one time. Prospective PhD students should scan the web pages of HSRG staff and email their enquiry to the relevant HSRG academic or email the HSRG Lead (michael.donnelly@qub.ac.uk). Also, we welcome enquiries from care professionals and health managers working in local and international health systems and health services.
Academic staff members of the Health Services & Global Health Research Group
Professor Michael Donnelly
Health Services & Global Health Research Group Lead
Current academic staff members of the Health Services Research Group together with the link to their respective webpages and contact details are listed below:
Academic Staff
Professor Michael Donnelly (Research Group Lead)
PhD Students
Motab Aljohani: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: Satisfaction Utilization and Willingness to Pay for Health Care Services in Saudi Arabia: a Contingent Valuation Study among Heads of Saudi Households.
Majed Almutairi: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: Evaluating the quality of healthcare services in primary care centres: Patient's perceptions of the quality of services in primary care centres.
Ibrahim Saad I Al-Sumaih: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: Systematic review and economics evaluation of endoscopic options for weight loss.
Khawla Belhoul (based in MBRU)
Katie Curran-Mohan: Principal Supervisor: Professor Nathan Congdon
PhD Title: Building capacity for diabetic eye screening in low-middle income countries: A mixed-methods approach.
Laura Cushley: Principal Supervisor: Professor Tunde Peto
PhD Title: The role of the peripheral retina in diabetic retinopathy: from basic science to town planning.
Mark Darragh: Principal Supervisor: Professor Mike Clarke
PhD Title: Using summaries to communicate the findings of systematic reviews in health care, social care and education.
Olujoke Fakoya: Principal Supervisor: Professor Michael Donnelly
PhD Title: Investigating community-based responses to alleviating loneliness and social isolation among older people.
Leonie Heron: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: The health economics of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour: healthcare expenditure and cost-effective interventions.
Nicola Holland: Principal Supervisor: Professor Gerald McKenna
PhD Title: Exploration of the relationship between poor oral health and cognitive decline in older adults who live in nursing and residential homes.
Suzanne Johnston
Michelle Jones: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: Comparing the cost-effectiveness of drug treatments for multiple myeloma between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Dongfeng Li: Principal Supervisor: Dr Ving Chan
PhD Title: The relationship between vision and mental health among rural Chinese secondary school students: a randomized trial.
Sarah McKenna: Principal Supervisor: Dr Aideen Maguire
PhD Title: Childhood exposure to social services interventions and adult mental health and social outcomes.
Ciaran Moore (HSC Doctoral Clinical Fellowship): Principal Supervisor: Dr Gerald McKenna
PhD Title: The effect of dental and salivary gland radiation dose on the occurrence of post-radiotherapy dental disease in patients with head and neck cancer.
Robert Morrison: Principal Supervisor: Professor Nathan Congdon
PhD Title: Optometric versus ophthalmic follow up of cataract surgery in Northern Ireland: A mixed-methods study.
James Nelson: Principal Supervisor: Dr Gerald McKenna
PhD Title: Success of prosthodontic treatment options for patients with hypodontia.
Nga Nguyen
Sola Olawoye: Principal Supervisor: Dr Ving Chan
PhD Title: The STAGE study (Severity, Treatment and Acceptance of Glaucoma thErapy) in Africa.
Priya Reddy: Principal Supervisor: Professor Nathan Congdon
PhD Title: PRISSM (Perfecting Refraction in India with Superior Service Models): A cluster-randomized controlled trial of three models of school-based spectacle service delivery in India.
Anas Salami Soozaei: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: PhD research in Dental/Oral public health directed toward early intervention and awareness of dental and oral problems in children. Diabetes and Oral Health.
Ngan Tran: Principal Supervisor: Professor Ciaran O'Neill
PhD Title: An Evaluation of the implementation, impact and costs of community-based breast cancer screening and early detection in the context of the Vietnam's health system.
Baixiang Xiao: Principal Supervisor: Professor Nathan Congdon
PhD Title: A Randomised Trial Testing the Efficacy of a Novel Bright Classroom in Preventing Myopia in Chinese Schoolchildren.
Chunhong Yan: Principal Supervisor: Professor Nathan Congdon
PhD Title: Accuracy and impact of automated software for cataract detection in rural China.