Using mobile technology to develop research skills in clinically based Allied Health Professionals.

Heidi Probst1, Tom Holland2, Mel Lindley1, Ann McDonnell1, Steve Sidaway2, Sue Walsh1, C Wright1.1Sheffield Hallam University, 2MyKnowledgeMap

Allied Health Professionals

There are over 130,000 Allied Health Practitioners (AHPs) working across a range of sectors in the UK; contributing critical expertise in a number of care pathways.

Therapy radiographers

Diagnostoc radiographers

Occupational Therapists

Physiotherapists

1-The Problem

•Research from AHPs is known to lag behind that of nursing and medicine resulting in a lower evidence base to services and care compared with other professions.

•DH policy focuses on the need for greater innovation in health care delivery. Research and intrapreneurial activity (corporate entrepreneurs) are inextricably linked.

•Access to online e-learning courses from within the hospital environment is problematic- tools such as Blackboard and Pebblepad access is restricted because of tight hospital firewalls making University supported learning in the workplace difficult.

2-The Problem

“The role of the radiographer in…”

“The role of complimentary therapy in..”

“Don’t know but something about breast cancer”

A lack of creativity in dissertation topics from MSc students

National Drivers that Frame the Problem

The Department of Health QIPP (Quality Innovation, Productivity and Prevention)3 agenda requires practitioners to consider efficient and productive ways of providing safe care for patients.

This agenda needs innovative, intrapreneurial practitioners across a range of professions to drive change.

National Drivers that Frame the Problem

Radiotherapy: Developing a world class service

Health Education EnglandDomain 3

…evidence that links education and training to improvement and innovation in patient care

Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare Workforce“hardwiring innovation into the curricula of courses”

© Sheffield Hallam University

• There appears to be a disconnect between practitioners day to day service delivery problems and University supported learning.

• Access to online e-learning courses from within the hospital environment is problematic- tools such as Blackboard and Pebblepad access is restricted because of tight hospital firewalls making University supported learning in the workplace difficult.

To increase innovative thinking in our students maybe we need to be more innovative

Developing Research Skills through an Intrapreneurial Lens

“individuals who take responsibility for developing new innovations,

thinking outside the box and showing creativity who operate within an

existing organization”.

Dayhoff and Moore (2003)

The Path to Intrapreneurship

©Sheffield Hallam University

Translation of the Intraprenurial Pedagogy into a Task Based Smartphone App- The RAHP App

Task1 Elevator Pitch- The research idea

2 The Literature in the Field

3 Method/Study Design

4 Gaining Stakeholder Input

5 Learning from Failure

6 The Full Proposal

Pilot Project

• Qualified, practicing AHPs invited from Diagnostic Imaging, Radiation Therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy.

• Short non-credit bearing course designed to be completed in 6-8 weeks entirely work-based learning

• Individual feedback via a mentor from the University.

• Six tasks via a smartphone app plus additional resources available through a dedicated website.

Testing and Evaluation3 Experienced AHPs used the app prior to the programme going live

“I like the style of this programme. The resources are well thought out and varied” (evaluator 1)

, “...this is really useful as you can expand on every task as you see fit. I like the blog/reflective journal too as this can be used as an integral part of the research process and as you progress through the project can be used in your research process particularly in more qualitative designs where the researchers perspective needs to be explored.” (evaluator 2),

Evaluation

“Love the idea and wish there was something like this available when I started in research” (evaluator 3)

Key Benefits of the Smartphone App

• Engagement of AHPs in research activity who are not in research roles and who otherwise would not have experienced development of a research proposal.

• Allows the individual to gain stakeholder perspectives on the research idea from ‘within the moment’ reflections at research forums or one to one meetings with members of the wider multi-disciplinary team.

• The learner becomes the conductor of their own learning (as opposed to the tutor) bringing in relevant stakeholders when required.

• Early evaluations from students indicate improved participant’s skills/knowledge in the research process, appraising research evidence, and designing a research project.

Key Benefits continued

• Allows collection of evidence, documents, images, videos, and audio recordings

• Helps to improve time management of trainee• Participants gain from the direct one to one feedback

obtained through the app from their mentor• Trainees can easily see and monitor their progress as

tasks are completed• Helps to monitor and track trainee progress in an

interactive way• Cost effective• Can access the web version as well as the app so not

exclusive to smartphone/tablet owners• Trainees can access and work on the app offline getting

stakeholder input on the job without the need for wi-fi, avoiding the difficulties associated with hospital fire walls

What next?

• We are using the R-AHP app with representatives at a national Radiotherapy research Think Tank.

• Potential to enhance the student experience during the dissertation process on MSc health courses

References 

 1. Allied health Professions Federation. (2012. The Role of AHPs. http://www.ahpf.org.uk/RFAHP.htm2. Amo, B. & Kolvereid, L. 2005. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY, INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY AND INNOVATION BEHAVIOR. Journal of Enterprising Culture, 13, (1) 7-19

3. Department of Health. Department of Health QIPP agenda- Innovation. 2011.

Ref Type: Online Source http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/policy-areas/nhs/quality/qipp/

4. Department of Health 2012, Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare Workforce (from design to delivery). http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_132076

5. Probst H, Eddy D, Eddy A, Cummings J 2 INSPIRE: Increasing Intrapreneurial Skills through Pedagogy, increases Innovation, Retention and Employability. 2012, Report http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/reports

6. Salmon, G. 2004. E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online, second edition ed. Routledge Falmer.