Centre for Health and Social Care Innovation (CHeSCI)

Centre for Health and Social Care Innovation (CHeSCI)

This multi-professional research centre is driven by the challenges that face health and social care. Members are engaged in local, national and international research from clinically based studies to theoretical work.

In order to generate innovation in specific areas, the Centre supports a number of research clusters in areas of:

• Ageing and Rurality
• Applied Health Genetics 
• Clinical Skills Innovation
• Dietetics and Health
• Drug and Alcohol Use (Drug and Alcohol Research Unit DARU)
• e-Health
• Rehabilitation
• Social Science and Health
• Sustainability, Society and Health

The members of CHeSCI are involved in a range of nationally and internationally significant research across the health and social care spectrum from clinically based studies to theoretical work. The Centre is both multi-disciplinary and multi-professional in its approach incorporating academics from across health and social science disciplines. This work is primarily located in the Schools of Allied Health Professionals, Nursing & Midwifery and Social Science and Social Work. However, we also have active partnerships with colleagues at NHS Trusts and Local Authorities across the region and Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry. Individual researchers working at the Centre also have established collaborations with local organisations such as Devon and Cornwall Police, local support groups and charitable bodies such as the Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Support Group and The Spinal Injuries Association. They also serve on the management committees of national professional groups such as the British Lung Foundation and the British Association for Family Therapy and international bodies such as the European Society of Human Genetics. The South West Regional Medical Sociology Group is facilitated by members of the Centre.

Shared research includes the areas of cardiovascular medicine; diabetes, neuroscience; health-service research; rehabilitation and environmental medicine F1 doctors experience; the healthy aged and non-healthy aged; cancer and palliative care; dying, death and bereavement; inequalities in health and social care; dementia and dementia care and trauma, loss and attachment. 

Some of our recent research highlights:

Funding has been secured for a 3-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust to develop a Decision Support System for the installation of Medical Technology (led by Professor Ray Jones).
Dr Maged Kamel-Boulos has been commissioned to provide an Expert Paper for the World Health Organisation titled Social media and Web 2.0 - how will they impact governance for health?

On the basis of the work of the Sustainability, Society and Health research group: Professor Janet Richardson was invited to give a keynote address at the first International Conference of Environment Centres in Sydney, Australia in September 2011.  Research currently being undertaken by this research group will be presented at the International Symposium on Waste Management and Landfill in Sardinia in October.

Dr Joanne Paton has been awarded a National institute for Health Research Clinical Lectureship Fellowship to undertake a three year programme of work related to the Development and clinical evaluation of a new dual purpose insole used for ulcer prevention and balance-enhancement in neuropathic individuals with diabetes.