RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FEATURE to take the next step in your research journey and get actively involved . This does not have to be as significant as conducting your own research . There are many ways to engage with applied health research ; the organisation you work for is most likely already involved in some if not all of them .
With the recent rise of online and virtual events , the opportunity to attend ARC events has never been so great . Currently , we are seeing much higher attendance and engagement at webinars from a range of practitioners and partners that previously would not have been able to join physically .
The result is the discussions and opinions shared are richer and more diverse , everyone has something to contribute and to take away . Many of the events are free to attend , and the slides and recordings are posted online afterwards for those unable to attend .
Training offers you a structured way to further progress your professional understanding and career prospects with new knowledge and skills . Formats range from short one day courses to NIHR awards such as Fellowships and further education MRes and PhD opportunities .
The key thing to remember is that you can fit research into your busy schedule in a flexible manner that suits you .
NIHR Fellowship Programme Chris Lovegrove , clinical lead occupational therapist and clinical research fellow , has benefitted from a range of support from the NIHR to help him progress in his journey to become a leader in research delivery .
The NIHR NMAHP Clinical Research Fellowship has been designed to support individuals at various points in their development to becoming leading researchers , from initial predoctoral training to supported senior post-doctoral research .
Chris has successfully completed the Fellowship and is now using his skills and knowledge to raise the profile of research within his trust , Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital .
Chris describes the important role allied health professionals ( AHPs ) play in delivering research : ‘ I think that the core focus of the profession – person-centred , meaningful occupation , and participation – allow occupational therapists to approach research questions from a different perspective than medical research , and thus generate different solutions to our most challenging clinical questions .’
The occupational therapy role in delivering research is varied . Occupational therapists have roles in the direct delivery of studies , such as data collection and recruitment , through to acting as the principal or chief investigator on studies .
AHPs represent the third largest professional workforce in health and social care – their contributions are critical to the development and delivery of high quality , patient-centred health and care research .
With more AHPs following research pathways , the capacity to deliver research will increase , also the unique insights based on clinical experience that they bring with them will help to diversify the range of research questions investigated .
Conducting your own research As an occupational therapist you will know first-hand the challenges you face in your work and what is most important to your patients ; these are often used as the starting point of developing a research question .
In February 2021 , research physiotherapist Anthony Gilbert was the lead author of Factors that influence patient preferences for virtual consultations in an orthopaedic rehabilitation setting : a qualitative study in BMJ Open .
Anthony holds an NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship and his research is supported by the NIHR ARC North Thames , the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the University of Southampton .
Anthony describes how timely and broadly relevant his research project is : ‘ The focus of my work is very much rehabilitation , so I don ’ t see it as siloed into physiotherapy rehab or to occupational therapy rehab , it ’ s both .
‘ It ’ s not profession or context specific . The findings that I ’ m generating from my research can be applied to occupational therapy in any situation when we are having conversations about virtual consultations or face-to-face consultations .’
He identifies the important elements of support for his research pathway as the networks , funding opportunities and infrastructure the NIHR provides : ‘ Through the NIHR there ’ s a really positive network of other clinicians , researchers , clinical academics , who are all in the same position .
‘ I think the NIHR attracts people that in general are questioning what ’ s going on and they want to improve things . They are generous with their time , the support and the resources they give . So there ’ s a real community of practice which I ’ ve benefited from a lot . I feel passionately that we need more AHPs in research .’
Anthony says that most organisations will have people involved in research and a lot more are now AHPs . He suggests having a conversation with them and building your network across research and clinical areas . ‘ The fact is that if people want to improve practice , they are already bringing with them a set of really important skills . That ’ s the first step .’
Take the next step Being actively involved in research offers you and the patients you work with a range of exciting benefits . Whether you want to improve your knowledge and understanding , create new professional connections , join a helpful support network , develop your career or implement research findings to improve practice and care , the NIHR ARCs offer a range of opportunities to support you .
So , what ’ s stopping you from getting involved in research and playing a part in solving some of the biggest issues facing health and social care ?
Find out more : NIHR ARCs Online : http :// bit . ly / NIHRARC ; NIHR ARCs Twitter : @ NIHRARCs ; Connect Project : www . theconnectproject . info
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