Clinical trials

This study aims to understand the health and social care needs and experiences of adults who frequently use urgent and emergency care services in Dorset. Using a mixed-methods design, the study combines analysis of non-patient-identifiable business intelligence data with qualitative interviews and co-production activities. The business intelligence data contextualises patterns of high intensity service use and informs participant identification. Qualitative interviews will explore the personal, social and system-level factors that contribute to frequent attendance. Co-production activities with an advisory group, supported by The Lantern Trust in Weymouth, will use these findings to develop a preventative intervention model grounded in lived experience. The study will recruit up to 50 patients, up to 10 carers and up to 20 health and social care professionals. The findings will contribute to the development of more effective, person-centred approaches to supporting people who frequently use urgent and emergency care services and will inform national and local policy in this area.

Public understanding of tuberculosis (TB) is shaped by sociocultural norms, educational background, and personal experiences. Misconceptions about TB transmission, disease severity, and treatment side effects are widespread, contributing to stigma and fear of social rejection. Such stigma can lead individuals to conceal their diagnosis, limiting access to support, engagement with healthcare, and overall health literacy. TB-related stigma is recognised as a significant barrier to ending the global TB epidemic, affecting quality of life and access to care. Yet in high-income, low-incidence (HILI) countries like the UK, its prevalence, influence, and lived impact remain largely unexplored. Where stigma appears in research, it is often treated as an emerging theme, leaving a critical gap in understanding how individuals with TB, or those caring or supporting them, experience and respond to it. This study adopts a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach to examine TB-related stigma in depth. CGT allows the research to explore how people living with TB make sense of, interpret, negotiate, and resist stigma, capturing the dynamic and contextual ways it shapes their lives, identities, and interactions with healthcare systems. By investigating these meaning-making processes, the study aims to illuminate how stigma operates in the UK, providing insights to inform future stigma-reduction interventions, communication strategies, and supportive healthcare practices, ultimately benefiting patients, communities, and the NHS.

The goal of this prospective observational cohort study is to investigate dressing-related experiences and surgical site self-care in patients who are undergoing a total hip or knee replacement. The main objectives of the study are: * To evaluate patient adherence to the ISWCAP self-care checklist after total hip or knee replacement within an ERAS pathway. * To explore patient-reported outcomes related to the performance and comfort of advanced dressings. * To assess the perceived adequacy and usefulness of post-discharge wound care education. * To identify the incidence and types of wound-related complications in the 12 weeks following surgery. Participants will give informed consent before surgery and will start the study once the dressing has been applied following surgery. There will be follow up study visits at discharge, 7 days, 12 days, 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-surgery. Data relating to vital signs, medical history, surgery and medication will be taken from routine data.

The first 12 weeks of pregnancy, known as the first trimester, can be one of the most worrying times for women. (Where this lay summary refers to women, it should be taken to include people who do not identify as women but who have the capacity to become pregnant). Many experience nausea, bleeding, or anxiety about whether the pregnancy is progressing normally. Despite this, most women do not see a midwife or doctor until around 10 weeks into the pregnancy. This leaves a gap where they may have important questions but little professional support. As a result, many turn to mobile phone applications or the internet to find answers - but the quality of information online is mixed, and it can be confusing or even unsafe. This research aims to understand what support women really need in early pregnancy, what concerns they have, and whether a mobile health application (mHealth app) could help fill this gap in current pregnancy care in a safe and personalised way. The study will also ask healthcare professionals and digital health experts what such an application should include, and how it can be made accessible, and easy to understand for all women - including those with different levels of health knowledge and digital skills. To carry out the research, we will use a combination of online surveys and interviews. Women who are currently pregnant or have had a baby in the last two years will be invited to take part, along with healthcare professionals such as midwives and doctors, and experts in digital health. The survey will ask about their experiences in early pregnancy, how they have used digital tools or apps, and whether they felt their questions were answered before their first NHS appointment. The interview stage will allow participants to talk in more depth about what support they wanted and what would have helped them most. All participants will receive information about support services because we realise that discussing unmet information needs or worries in early pregnancy may be upsetting for some women. The views collected will inform the design of a new mobile application to support women during early pregnancy. The application will use artificial intelligence (AI) to personalise information based on each woman's needs and background, and to explain things clearly and simply. The content and design of the application will be reviewed by doctors and digital health specialists to make sure it is safe, accurate, and easy to use. Public and patient involvement is central to this project. A diverse group of women and representatives from grassroots organisations will be invited to shape the questions we ask, review the design of the application, and help us make it inclusive for people from different backgrounds. This research will help us create a practical, trustworthy, and inclusive tool to support women during one of the most vulnerable times in pregnancy when women don't usually see a doctor. If successful, it could be used widely across the NHS to help reduce anxiety, improve understanding, and ensure women get the right support earlier in their pregnancy with the long-term aim of improving outcomes for women, babies, and families across the UK.

We are running a small study to test whether a special type of therapy - including casting, stretching, and massage - might help improve recovery after Dupuytren's Fasciectomy. The study is taking place at Dorset County Hospital and will involve people who are already scheduled for surgery and have a permanent bend of 30 degrees or more in the middle joint of one or more fingers. The therapy will be given before surgery to see if it helps people get a better result afterwards. We want to find out: * Who would be suitable to take part in a future, larger study * Which results are most important to measure (like finger movement or grip strength) * How many people complete the full therapy and follow-up We'll also speak to patients and healthcare professionals to understand how acceptable and practical this therapy is. The goal is to see whether it's possible and worthwhile to run a larger study in the future, to find out if pre-surgery therapy can become a helpful part of treatment for people undergoing Dupuytren's Fasciectomy.