Primary care research themes:

1) Healthy lifestyles in older age – Eileen Kaner

Primary care has a central role in promoting life-style change to deliver direct patient and public benefit, extending healthy life years and delaying the onset of age-related morbidities. Our work in Newcastle has a focus on the management and consequences of obesity and alcohol consumption.

2. Multiple conditions and end of life care – Barbara Hanratty

Managing long-term conditions and supporting individuals to live independently for as long as possible is central to primary care policy. Our work with the Newcastle 85+ study showed that multi-morbidity is the norm in old age; frailty and geriatric syndromes add further challenges. Our ongoing and future work looks to improve primary care management for multi-morbidity. End of life care, care homes and self-management are particular areas of interest.

3. Management of age-related illness – Louise Robinson

Dementia is a priority area for our research. The Prime Minister’s Dementia Challenge highlighted the importance of more timely diagnosis and post diagnostic support and national guidance is in place to support referral for a secondary care assessment. The role of the GP and primary care in promoting risk reduction interventions and ensuring early diagnosis and intervention are key areas of our work.

4. Shared decision making – Richard Thomson

Engagement of patients in shared decision making and support for self management is a cornerstone of UK policy for enhancing patient experience and outcomes. In Newcastle, we have a programme of research on developing and implementing SDM and supported self management in primary care.