In the 21st Century, healthcare providers in developed countries face major challenges. The changing population demographic suggests an ageing population with an ever-increasing prevalence of chronic illness, coupled with the development of expensive treatments and diagnostic technologies, meaning that health systems are under increasing pressure to deliver maximum value from limited funding.  At the same time there is an increasing trend towards consumerism in healthcare and a shift of desicion-making power from professionals to patients.  The internet revolution means that the outcomes of health service treatment are increasingly scrutinised.  These changes have led health systems such as the NHS to adopt strategies which prmote healthy living and prevention and early detection of chronic illness, which aim to support people who have chronic health problems to live independently and which emphasise quality of care, maximising patient safety and minimising errors.

Dr John Powell was theme leader for our Next Generation Healthcare (NGH) research during the latter stages. With a background in public health and his extensive contacts within the NHS and other healthcare providers he wasideally placed to steer the project portfolio.

The demand for innovation to meet the challenges of 21st Century healthcare was met by our portfolio of projects under the NGH Technology theme.  One study aimed to harness the phenomena and destructive qualities of cavitation to identify whether it can be used as a novel technique for eliminating kidney and gallbladder stones.  If successful this approach could have far reaching applications for the targeted destruction of tissues within the body.  Within this theme we also funded projects which explored the use of information technology-based interventions for health problems.  This built on an investment in the International Digital Laboratory at Warwick and, specifically a new Institute of Digital Healthcare co-funded by the NHS.

Within the NGH Technology theme we are alsio supported projects which are explored the use of information technology based interventions for health problems.   An example of this is a project completed in the past year which used virtual reality techniques to develop an immersive virtual environment which can be used to study paranoia and psychosis, again problems which are a major burden on health services.

Our NGH Management portfolio of projects examined how healthcare productivity could be improved using old and new techniques, such as lean processes, from the disciplines of management and engineering.  Much of the previous research endeavour in this area has focused on secondary care flow processes such as accident and emergency waiting times, and our Strategic Lean Implementation Methodology (SLIM) project was highly relevant in these areas.  However, we also looked at new areas for applying productivity techniques, for example the Agility in Self Care project examined how knowledge management techniques could be used in primary care or with self care. Given the need for health systems to focus on prevention, self care, and the delivery of care closer to home, this project was of great relevance to current NHS priorities.

Another WIMRC project has examined barriers in the organisation and management of clinical trials, a study which attracted great interest from the medical research community, not least from the Director General of the NHS National Institute for Health Research.