Two new research projects support innovations in care delivery

Following a call for research proposals earlier this year, Public Health Wales’ Improvement Cymru directorate has awarded funding to support two research projects that have the potential to deliver improvements and innovation in health and care delivery.

Both projects align with the strategic priorities outlined in our new strategy ‘Achieving Quality and Safety Improvements’ (launched September 2021) and will help us to ensure that everyone has access to safe, effective and efficient care in the right place and at the right time.

Language creates reality

Dr Ian Davies-Abbott at Bangor University is chief investigator on a project designed to improve our understanding of how language used in healthcare settings impacts the delivery of person-centred care for people living with dementia.

It is believed that malignant or negative entries in the case notes of people living with dementia can potentially stigmatise patients and affect how they are treated during care interventions.

Working in collaboration with University Hospital Llandough, this research project will use dementia care mapping to empower people living with dementia, their family members and/or carers, and healthcare staff to share their perceptions of positive language. The findings will be used by the team to shape the development and implementation of a ‘dementia friendly’ language tool.

Dr Davies-Abbott, Lecturer in Healthcare Sciences (Mental Health Nursing) at Bangor University, said: “Although the importance of using dementia friendly language has been discussed for several years, this study presents a novel opportunity to understand whether written language impacts on the practical care of people living with dementia. The study will also look to develop written language alternatives to promote positive case note writing”.

This research project complements the wider work of Improvement Cymru and Welsh Government, and the recently launched Dementia Friendly Hospital Charter for Wales.

Digital interventions during the perinatal period

The Perinatal Community Mental Health Service, led by Dr Cerith Waters at Cardiff Royal Infirmary, is researching how women and birthing people experiencing mental health difficulties during the perinatal period can have improved access to digital interventions.

Women and birthing people in the perinatal period faced unique challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. They faced increased isolation, reduced in-person antenatal and postnatal appointments, restrictions on how and when partners and carers could support them, and reduced support to help them care for their new baby. Consequently, the mental health outcomes of perinatal women and birthing people with depression and anxiety have worsened since the pandemic.

In response, the Perinatal Community Mental Health Service adapted its therapeutic interventions for online delivery. While many women and birthing people accessed and benefitted from these digital services, up to 30% of women declined or dropped out of treatment prior to completion of the intervention.

This research project aims to develop a better understanding of why some people do not engage or disengage with digitally provided psychological interventions, and subsequently how the service can be enhanced to engender greater engagement. 

Dr Waters, Clinical Lead Psychologist for Perinatal Mental Health Services in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University, said: “We are keen to build on the digital innovations we developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and further improve the mental health outcomes of people in the perinatal period and their babies”.

Both projects complement the wider work of Improvement Cymru and the Safe Care Together programme outlined within our strategy. This programme offers bespoke support to organisations to identify and improve quality and safety priorities. Improvement Cymru is pleased to be able to support these two innovative research projects, and we look forward to engaging with them as they put care quality and safety at the forefront in both their settings.