Blog posts

Supporting the safe and meaningful involvement of women experiencing homelessness in research

IGHI recently received funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) for an 18-month project in partnership with the Marylebone Project and Central London Healthcare which focuses on supporting the safe and meaningful involvement of women experiencing homelessness in research.

People experiencing homelessness have shorter life expectancies, poorer physical and mental health, and less access to healthcare than the general population. For women experiencing homelessness, the average age of death is 43 – two years younger than men and nearly half the life expectancy of women in the general population. Many homeless women are survivors of abuse, and more research is needed to provide specialised, female-led support for this group in safe, trauma-informed spaces.

Health Policy MSc Q&A with Mizan Musahid

The Health Policy MSc at Imperial College London is led by the Institute of Global Health Innovation. Mizan Musahid, a Health Policy Master’s student, shares his experience of the programme.

What’s your academic background? What did you study for your undergraduate degree?

Mizan Musahid (MM): I studied Law for my undergraduate degree, which developed my skills in critical thinking, structured analysis, and crafting arguments which are key skills for effective policy development. During my studies, I also took part in pro bono work, providing commercial and criminal legal advice to individuals who couldn’t afford costly legal fees. This experience deepened my commitment to ensuring access to justice for all, not just those who can afford it.

Midweek movement: adding movement into your working week

It can be challenging to fit movement into your work week, with deadlines, meetings, and long to-do lists constantly demanding your attention. Hear from IGHI staff about how they integrate movement into their busy schedules and their top tips on how you can do the same!

Meet Anna: The netball enthusiast and fair weather cyclist

Anna Lawrence-Jones, a dedicated mother and Public Involvement Lead, admits that juggling work, family, and household chores often leaves little room for personal fitness. However, she has been making the most of the good weather and buying a Lime bike pass to cycle 20 minutes to Liverpool Street to get her train a few times a week.

New cohort of Digital health leaders share their enthusiasm to drive digital transformation in the NHS

Last week, over 100 students from the most recent Cohort of the Digital Health Leadership Programme (DHLP) came together for the first time to kick off their learning journey.

The two-day Forum in York gave students the opportunity to learn about expectations for the year, meet the academic team, and network with peers. Day 1 included talks and interactive sessions on individual strengths, while Day 2 focused on the collective, with participants engaging with their peer support groups. 

Commissioned by the NHS Digital Academy at NHS England, the DHLP empowers health and care leaders to drive digital transformation in the NHS.

First Collaborative Network for University Staff Involved in Online Postgraduate Programmes Launched

Re-Cap of the Inaugural CROPSNet Event

The launch event for the Collaborative Research for Online Postgraduate Studies Network (CROPSNet) took place on Tuesday 10  September 2024, with over 30 higher education professionals from six different UK institutions in attendance. The network is the first of its kind, and the success of this initial event has provided a very strong springboard for future CROPSNet activities.

CROPSNet emerged from the work undertaken by the Student Wellbeing in IGHI Postgraduate Education (SWIPE) team (Dr Christa Hansen, Dr Annie McKirdy, Joe Kerr, and Julien le Jeune d’Allegeershecque), who have been working to improve the way in which the IGHI support the mental health and general wellbeing of its online students.

Involving community members to help people attend their hospital appointments

Attending hospital appointments is essential for patients to access the medical care they need to maintain and improve their health. Across North West London, individuals living in the most deprived areas and from ethnic minority groups face a variety of barriers to attending outpatient appointments at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. The focus of this collaborative project between IGHI’s Helix Centre and the Trust was to understand why people miss their appointments and to co-design solutions with community members that help them to attend.

Going to the first outpatient appointment can help prevent a chain reaction of health inequity. By attending diagnostic appointments (such as scans), individuals help to ensure timely diagnoses and interventions, which can lead to better health outcomes and more effective treatment and management of their conditions.

Waiting well

We know people are waiting a long time to receive treatment. We also know people living in less advantaged areas experience health inequalities. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and the Helix Centre carried out a project, funded by the North West London Integrated Care Board, to understand the challenges faced by people living in less advantaged areas while waiting for orthopaedic treatment and to design tailored support initiatives that might help people to live well while waiting. To do this, we interviewed 7 patients to understand their experience of waiting for an orthopaedic procedure. Then we held a workshop with 8 patients at the Bush Theatre to design support ideas in response to the key insights from the interviews.

Health Policy MSc Q&A

The Health Policy MSc at Imperial College London is led by the Institute of Global Health Innovation. Laurence Woollard, a Health Policy Master’s student 2022-2024, shares his experience of the programme.

What’s your background? What did you study for your undergraduate degree?

Laurence Woollard (LW): In what now feels like another universe, I was originally pursuing a career in the music industry. I had studied Professional Musicianship at undergraduate level, finishing circa 2010. I then undertook a series of internships before landing a job offer at a music publisher in London. I reflect fondly on these times; the on-stage performance element as a gigging musician was a particularly important grounding in how to captivate and engage an audience’s attention, skills for which I have taken forward into my professional role and presentation delivery today.

Innovative children’s hospice opens in Italy with support from IGHI

“Arca sull’albero”, a new children’s hospice in Bologna, Italy, was inaugurated last week, marking a significant milestone in children’s palliative care. The hospice, funded by Fondazione Hospice Maria Teresa Chiantore Seràgnoli, is a testament to innovative, user-centred design and care. Researchers and designers from the Institute of Global Health Innovation (IGHI) and its Helix Centre played a pivotal role in its development, ensuring the incorporation of lessons from international best practices and of user-centred innovation.

Access to children’s palliative care is a human right. According to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, “children are entitled to quality health services, including prevention, promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care services.’’

Impact of the cost-of-living crisis on patient preferences towards virtual consultations

Since 2021, the world has faced a cost-of-living crisis that has adversely affected population health. With rising living costs, many people have been forced to make significant cuts in their daily expenses and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. But has this crisis influenced how people prefer to access health services? In this blog, we share the results of our international cross-sectional study involving 6,391 participants from the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Italy.

The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by military destabilisation in Europe, has contributed to a major cost-of-living crisis characterised by significant price and tax rises, drastic cuts to social security, as well as rises in rent and energy bills.