BU Research Blog

October 8, 2017

BU academic writes in national newspaper Nepal

Featured academics, Global engagement, international, policy, Publishing, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Dr. Pramod Regmi, Lecturer in International Health in the Faculty of Health & Social Care, wrote in today’s edition of my Republica under the title ‘Health for all’. This article in one of Nepal’s national daily newspapers my Republica, is co-authored with Mr. Bhagirath Yogy, a BBC journalist based in London.

The idea of universal health insurance is high on the international agenda as it is regarded as a potential solution to offering universal health care, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Too many people across the globe have no or poor access to health care when they need it and national or local health insurance can help some populations in improving their access to health workers and health facilities.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

October 3, 2017

BU Sociology article in The Conversation

Featured, Featured academics, international, open access, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, the conversation, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Dr. Hyun-Joo Lim Senior Lecturer in Sociology at BU who has just written an interesting piece on human rights issues faced by North Korean female defectors in China in The Conversation. You can access this article by clicking here!

Well done!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

September 18, 2017

New collaborative work published by Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers (FHSS)

BU research, EU, Featured academics, Global engagement, international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Dr. Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has just co-published a comprehensive study on state-building in Kosovo. The study has be co-created with colleagues and postgraduate students from the wider region and funded by the Open Society Foundation, Kosovo.

The report is freely available here! This study critically explores the background to success and failure of different aspects of international policy interventions and local civic capacities for development. Aspects covered included: unintended consequences and dilemmas around the internationally facilitated processes of institution-building and ‘good-governance’ reform; reconciliation; cultural heritage protection; and educational reform.

Congratulations!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

September 7, 2017

Congratulations to Dr. Jane Fry & colleagues

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, Publishing, Research Ethics, Research Integritiy, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Jane Fry, Janet Scammell and Sue Barker in the Faculty of Health & Social Science on the publication of their latest paper ‘ Drowning in Muddied Waters or Swimming Downstream?: A Critical Analysis of Literature Reviewing in a Phenomenological Study through an Exploration of the Lifeworld, Reflexivity and Role of the Researcher’.

This innivative paper proceeds from examining the debate regarding the question of whether a systematic literature review should be undertaken within a qualitative research study to focusing specifically on the role of a literature review in a phenomenological study. Along with pointing to the pertinence of orienting to, articulating and delineating the phenomenon within a review of the literature, the paper presents an appropriate approach for this purpose. How a review of the existing literature should locate the focal phenomenon within a given context is illustrated by excerpts from the literature review within a descriptive phenomenological study. This article was recently published in the Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology. Click here for freely available copy online.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

September 5, 2017

The Conversation about midwifery campaign

Featured academics, international, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, the conversation, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Last week saw the publication of a piece by BU Professors Vanora Hundley and Edwin van Teijlingen in The Conversation under the title: “Why UK midwives stopped the campaign for ‘normal birth’”. The editor of The Conversation invited the authors to write in reply to the statement: “According to media reports, women will no longer be told they should have an intervention-free birth and midwives will be encouraged to use terms a “physiological birth” rather than “normal birth”. We are looking for an expert to comment on this.”

The resulting article is the result of a quite long process of writing a draft, which was initially edited by The Conversation in a way the authors did not feel represented what they wanted to say. In our original submission we raised the role of the media with regard to responsible reporting, but it seems this was a step too far. In submitting a re-written version, which was edited again before it came back to the authors, we were advised that academics should not ‘blame the media’ since that avoids addressing the issue, but what if the media really does have a role? After seven or eight major alterations we reached and an agreed version that we think is a balance and fairly easy to read newspaper article. Our new book Midwifery, Childbirth and the Media due to be published by Palgrave Macmillan will cover these media issue in greater detail.

Professors Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

August 23, 2017

New CMMPH publication on maternity care in Nepal

BU research, Featured academics, Global engagement, international, open access, Publishing, Research news, student research, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Today the journal BMC Health Services Research accepted our scientific paper ‘The contribution of female community health volunteers (FCHVs) to maternity care in Nepal: a qualitative study’ [1]. FCHVs who form an integral part of community-based primary healthcare system of Nepal. Some 50,000 FCHVs working across the country distribute temporary contraception or refer for other methods of family planning in formal healthcare centres.

As the lowest level healthcare provider working in local communities, FCHVs deliver basic maternal healthcare services to pregnant women and mothers in rural communities. The paper concludes that no research to date has been able to demonstrate that the FCHVs roles themselves have an impact on maternal mortality or other health outcomes; quantitative studies are needed to do this.

The paper is based on Dr. Sarita Panday’s recently completed PhD at The University of Sheffield, Prof. Paul Bissell Dean of the School of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield, Prof. Padam Simkhada, BU Visiting Faculty and Associate Dean for Global Engagement at Liverpool John Moores University and BU’s Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health.

Reference:

Panday, S., Bissell, P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P. (2017) The contribution of female community health volunteers (FCHVs) to maternity care in Nepal: a qualitative study BMC Health Services Research (accepted August 2017).

August 19, 2017

Congratulations to Dr. Keen on new Nepal publication

BU research, international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Research news, student research, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Dr. Steve Keen in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences and BU PhD graduate Dr. Pratik Adhikary on the acceptance today of their paper ‘Risky work: Accidents among Nepalese migrant workers in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi ‘ by the journal Health Prospect [1]. This is a peer-reviewed public health journal, part of Nepal Journals Online, and the journal is Open Access. Nepal Journals OnLine (NepJOL) provides access to Nepalese published research, and increase worldwide knowledge of indigenous scholarship.

The Faculty of Health & Social Sciences has a growing number of publications on health and migration research, especially on the health and well-being of migrants from Nepal [2-5].

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

References:

Adhikary, P., Sheppard, Z., Keen, S., van Teijlingen, E. (2017) Risky work: Accidents among Nepalese migrant workers in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi, Health Prospect (forthcoming)
Adhikary, P., Simkhada, P.P., van Teijlingen E., Raja, AE. (2008) Health & Lifestyle of Nepalese Migrants in the UK BMC International Health & Human Rights 8(6). Web address: www.biomedcentral.com/1472-698X/8/6.
van Teijlingen E, Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P. (2009) Alcohol use among the Nepalese in the UK BMJ Rapid Response: www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/339/oct20_1/b4028#223451
Adhikary P., Keen S., van Teijlingen, E. (2011) Health Issues among Nepalese migrant workers in Middle East. Health Science Journal 5: 169-175. www.hsj.gr/volume5/issue3/532.pdf
Aryal, N., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Adhikary, P., Bhatta, Y.K.D., Mann, S. (2016) Injury and Mortality in Young Nepalese Migrant Workers: A Call for Public Health Action. Asian-Pacific Journal of Public Health 28(8): 703-705.

August 15, 2017

Writing Days – Open for Booking!

BU research, Publishing, RKE development framework, writing sastringer

As part of the Writing Academy, a series of writing days have been organised to help support BU authors work on their publications by providing some dedicated time and space, away from everyday distractions.

The days will have a collaborative focus on productive writing with other BU authors, the RKEO team will also be on hand to provide authors with help and guidance on all areas of the publication process.

Writing Days have been scheduled on the below dates:

Friday 15th September 2017
Thursday 2nd November 2017

Friday 5th January 2018

Wednesday 7th March 2018

Tuesday 22nd May 2018

Monday 23rd July 2018

Spaces are limited so please only book on if you are able to commit to attending for the whole day.

Click here to book on!

August 3, 2017

BU Researcher publishes chapter in forthcoming book, “Role of the Mediterranean Diet in the Brain and Neurodegenerative Diseases”

BU research, Impact, Knowledge Exchange, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, Research themes, staff profile pages, writing sdyall

The chapter is called, “Interplay between lipid mediators and the immune system in the promotion of brain repair”, and looks at the interactions of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with endocannabinoids in neuroinflammation, neurogenesis and brain aging.

The brain is highly enriched in docosahexaenoic (DHA) and arachidonic (ARA) acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), respectively. DHA and other long-chain omega-3 PUFAs are precursors of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving mediators, whereas ARA is precursor of inflammatory eicosanoids, but also pro-resolving mediators. The endocannabinoid system comprises a group of bioactive lipids, receptors and enzymes involved in their synthesis and degradation. 2-archidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) are the primary agonists of cannabinoid receptors in the brain, substrate for enzymes such as cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases and cytochrome P450 mixed function oxygenases, which release ARA upon hydrolysis. The aging brain has impaired ability to balance protective and detrimental effects of the immune system and chronic low-grade neuroinflammation is a contributor to cognitive impairment and development of neurodegenerative diseases. There is a complex interplay between omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs, the endocannabinoid system and the immune system. This chapter summarises current evidence of this interplay and discusses the therapeutic potential in the promotion of brain self-repair.

Dr Simon Dyall’s Bioactive Lipids Research Lab conducts research investigating the role of bioactive lipid mediators in brain protection and repair across the lifespan and following neurotrauma.

The book, Role of the Mediterranean Diet in the Brain and Neurodegenerative Disease” is edited by Farooqui T. and Farooqui A., and is due for publication 1^st November 2017 by Academic Press. Paperback ISBN: 9780128119594

https://www.elsevier.com/books/role-of-the-mediterranean-diet-in-the-brain-and-neurodegenerative-diseases/farooqui/978-0-12-811959-4

August 3, 2017

PlumX Metrics – Webinar

BRIAN, BU research, Publishing, Research assessment, writing sastringer

Scopus have enhanced their article-level metrics through the integration of Plum X Metrics and to support this are hosting a webinar titled ‘How PlumX Metrics on Scopus help tell the story of your research’ on 10th August at 5pm.

You can sign up to the webinar here

July 29, 2017

New research ethics paper Faculty of Health & Social Sciences

BU research, Featured academics, Global engagement, international, Publishing, Research communication, Research Ethics, Research news, Research Training, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Next months sees the publication of our latest article on research ethics in developing countries [1]. Our paper argues that despite a significant increase in health research activity in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in recent years, only limited work has been done to address ethical concerns. Most ethics committees in LMICs lack the authority and/or the capacity to monitor research in the field. This is important since not all research, particularly in LMICs region, complies with ethical principles, sometimes this is inadvertently or due to a lack of awareness of their importance in assuring proper research governance. With several examples from Nepal, this paper reflects on the steps required to obtain informed consents and highlights some of the major challenges and barriers to seeking informed consent from research participants. At the end of this paper, we also offer some recommendations around how can we can promote and implement optimal informed consent taking process.

The paper is co-written by six authors, and interestingly five are graduates of the University of Aberdeen. These Aberdeen University graduates are currently affiliated with five different universities. Four of who are based in the UK at: the University of Liverpool, the University of the West of England, the University of Oxford, and in Bournemouth University’s Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) and one in the USA: Georgetown University. The sixth co-author, Nirmal Aryal, is currently a PhD student at the University of Otago in Dunedin (New Zealand). Whilst Liverpool-based researcher Dr. Pramod Regmi is heading back for Bournemouth University to become a lecturer in International Health in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences this autumn.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Reference:

Regmi, P.R., Aryal, N., Kurmi, O., Pant, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Wasti, P.P. (2017) Informed consent in health research: challenges and barriers in low-and middle-income countries with specific reference to Nepal, Developing World Bioethics 17(2):84-89

July 24, 2017

Collaborative BU research highlighted in Clin Serv J

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, Public engagement, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Clinical Services Journal highlighted our recent research report on Community Hospitals, see article here!. The NIHR research has been conducted by RAND Europe, the European Observatory on Health Systems & Policies, and Bournemouth University [1].

Our report concluded that community hospitals could play a more active role in meeting the challenges facing the NHS, in particular in larger hospitals. The notion of a Community Hospital in the UK is evolving from the traditional model of a local hospital staffed by general practitioners and nurses and serving mainly rural populations. Along with the diversification of models, there is a renewed policy interest in Community Hospitals and their potential to improve integrated care. However, there is a need to better understand the role of different models of Community Hospitals within the wider health economy and an opportunity to learn from experiences of other countries to inform this potential.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Reference:

Pitchforth, E., Nolte, E., Corbett, J., Miani., C, Winpenny., E, van Teijlingen, E., Elmore, N,, King, S,, Ball, S,, Miler, J,, Ling, T. (2017) Community hospitals and their services in the NHS: identifying transferable learning from international developments – scoping review, systematic review, country reports and case studies Health Services & Delivery Research 5(19): 1-248.

July 21, 2017

BU prof speaking at the University of Sheffield

BU research, Featured academics, Global engagement, international, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

BU professor Edwin van Teijlingen from the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perianal Health (CMMPH) had the honour of being invited to speak at a workshop ran yesterday by the Sheffield Institute for International Development. The workshop ‘Nepal: Reconstruction, Resilience and Development’ was organised by the University of Sheffield.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen spoke about endemic corruption in Nepal and opportunities that are offered by disasters such as earthquakes for more corruption. He pointed out that there is little research on corruption in Nepal, despite its low ranking on the international Corruption Perceptions Index. The presentation can be viewed here: Nepal earthquake corruption 2017 .

He pointed out that disasters are confusing events with often loads of money and relief aid arriving under chaotic conditions. Immediate emergency aid needs to be distributed to unknown people (‘those affected’), in difficult to access areas, under often chaotic socio-political conditions.

He also reminded the audience that corruption (and corrupt behaviour) are not limited to low-income countries. He highlighted the Ariana Grande case in Manchester (UK) where thousands falsely claimed to have been at the original attacked concert when applying for a ticket for the Manchester One Love concert.

July 20, 2017

New publication Sheetal Sharma (PhD graduate 2017)

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, PG research, Publishing, Research news, student research, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Sheetal Sharma whose latest article appeared in today’s new issue of Journal of Asian Midwives [1]. Sheetal wrote the paper ‘Evaluation a Community Maternal Health Programme: Lessons Learnt’ with her PhD supervisors Dr. Catherine Angell, Prof. Vanora Hundley, Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen and Prof. Padam Simkhada (Liverpool John Moores University & FHSS Visiting Professor) and the director of Green Tara Nepal Mr. Ram Chandra Silwal and the founder of Green Tara Trust, London, Dr. Jane Stephens. The Journal of Asian Midwives is an Open-Access journal hence this article is freely available across the globe.

Focus groups in open air in rural Nepal, (c) Sheetal Sharma

Reference:

Sharma, S., Simkhada, P., Hundley, V., van Teijlingen, E., Stephens, J., Silwal, R.C., Angell, C. (2017) Evaluation a Community Maternal Health Programme: Lessons Learnt. Journal of Asian Midwives. 4(1): 3–20.

July 19, 2017

New publication by FHSS PhD student

BU research, Featured academics, international, open access, PG research, policy, Publishing, Research news, Student Engagement, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) PhD student Folashade Alloh and Dr. Pramod Regmi, newly appointed lecturer in International Health. They just published ‘Effect of economic and security challenges on the Nigerian health sector’ in the journal African Health Sciences. The paper is Open Access and can be found here!

Well done!

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

July 17, 2017

New maternity research paper on Nepal

BU research, international, PG research, Publishing, Research news, student research, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Congratulations to Preeti Mahato, PhD student in the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health, on the publication of her latest paper ‘Factors related to choice of place of birth in a district in Nepal’ in the Elsevier journal Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare [1]. The paper based on her research work in Nawalparasi, southern Nepal. This new paper is the third paper form Preeti’s PhD work [2-3].

Reference:

Mahato, P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Sheppard, Z., Silwal, R.C. (2017) Factors related to choice of place of birth in a district in Nepal, Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare 13 : 91-96.
Mahato, P., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Angell, C. (2016) Birthing centres in Nepal: Recent developments, obstacles and opportunities, Journal of Asian Midwives 3(1): 18-30. http://ecommons.aku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=jam
Mahato, P.K., Regmi, P.R., van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Angell, C., Sathian, B. (2015) Birthing centre infrastructure in Nepal post 2015 earthquake. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 5(4): 518-519. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/14260/11579

July 14, 2017

New publication on Community Hospitals

international, Knowledge Exchange, open access, policy, Publishing, Research news, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

The Health Services Journal published a commentary this week on Community Hospitals [1]. This online article is written by Dr. Emma Pitchforth who is based at RAND Europe in Cambridge (& BU Visiting Faculty), Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) and Dr. Ellen Nolte based at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

The authors highlight the recently completed NIHR study on Community Hospitals [2]. The notion of a Community Hospital in the UK is evolving from the traditional model of a local hospital staffed by general practitioners and nurses and serving mainly rural populations. Along with the diversification of models, there is a renewed policy interest in community hospitals and their potential to deliver integrated care. However, there is a need to better understand the role of different models of community hospitals within the wider health economy and an opportunity to learn from experiences of other countries to inform this potential.

With ease of access and a sense of homeliness, there is potential for Community Hospitals to be better integrated into NHS in England. The authors suggest that a more strategic role for ‘traditional’ Community Hospitals might be timely within the NHS in England. They further conclude that if challenges around Community Hospitals are addressed and their within the English health system is properly defined, they could provide positive benefits to the health service. It seems that, if done correctly, Community Hospitals could be a traditional solution to help address some of the modern day challenges of the NHS.The full NIHR report is Open Access and can be found here!

Last year the research team had already published a scoping review article from the NIHR study [3].

References:

Pitchforth, E., van Teijlingen, E., Nolte, E. (2017) Community hospitals: a traditional solution to help today’s NHS? Health Services Journal (11 July) https://www.hsj.co.uk/community-services/community-hospitals-a-traditional-solution-to-help-todays-nhs/7020019.article#/scientific-summary
Pitchforth, E., Nolte, E., Corbett, J., Miani., C, Winpenny., E, van Teijlingen, E., Elmore, N,, King, S,, Ball, S,, Miler, J,, Ling, T. (2017) Community hospitals and their services in the NHS: identifying transferable learning from international developments – scoping review, systematic review, country reports and case studies Health Services & Delivery Research 5(19): 1-248.
Wimpenny, E.M., Corbett, J., Miami, C., King, S., Pitchforth, E., Ling, T., van Teijlingen, E. Nolte, E. (2016) Community hospitals in selected high income countries: a scoping review of approaches and models. International Journal of Integrated Care 16(4): 13 http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ijic.2463

July 11, 2017

How to be a Productivity Ninja™

BU Challenges, BU research, Guidance, Info Days, RKE development framework, Training, writing sastringer

The ThinkProductive Team will be visiting BU next Wednesday to deliver a 90 minute action-packed seminar on How to be a Productivity Ninja™ . They will share with you the 9 Characteristics of the Productivity Ninja™ and help you to identify specific ways you can implement them.

If you want to learn the way of the Productivity Ninja™ then book on here!

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Writing Days – Open for Booking!

BU Researcher publishes chapter in forthcoming book, “Role of the Mediterranean Diet in the Brain and Neurodegenerative Diseases”

PlumX Metrics – Webinar

Collaborative BU research highlighted in Clin Serv J

New maternity research paper on Nepal

How to be a Productivity Ninja™

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