• Research involves finding the answers to questions about “what should/could we do to help patients?”
• Clinical audit examines “whether this is being implemented appropriately, and if not, why?”
• Service evaluation/quality improvement asks regarding “the effect of this care on service users experiences and outcomes.”
• Despite evident differences there are also similarities between Research, Audit and Service Evaluation - they all start with important questions, answer questions through acquiring data and each needs a systematic approach and thoroughly planned design.

Research provides us with a greater insight and enables us to:

• Develop new treatments and medicines
• Prevent illnesses
• Improve quality of life
• Improve our understanding of medical conditions
• Understand the emotional and physical support you need if you’re living with a medical condition.
• Improve services that are offered here within DHCFT

Evidence suggests that healthcare organisations who are research active, have higher levels of performance and better patient outcomes (Jonker & Fisher, 2018).

We are a multi-faceted team who manage and lead on a wide range of NIHR clinical research studies, evaluation, clinical audit, quality improvement projects and Library and Knowledge services.

We host and run a wide variety of different studies relating to mental health, substance misuse and learning disabilities at the Trust, with significant local expertise in dementia and self-harm and suicide.

We also manage an established programme of embedded researchers, with roles currently working in:

Adult Assessment Services: 

• Liaison Psychiatry
• Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment 
• Criminal Justice Liaison and Diversion 
• Mental Health Helpline

Specialist Services:

• Perinatal
• Adult Neuro-Developmental 

Our team is made up of a diverse group of colleagues with backgrounds in psychology, nursing, public health and management, to name but a few. When we come together, we can provide practical support and expert advice to embed research in practice and deliver high quality healthcare research. We set ourselves high standards with measurable aims but do not let this take away from our warm and friendly nature.

Our team is committed to ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion are central to the way we deliver services, for our service users and our colleagues. This is integral to our day-to-day life in the Research and Development team.

For more information on how we may use your information in research please click here: Data sharing

Library and Knowledge Services

All Derbyshire Healthcare employees, Trust volunteers and students on clinical placements within the Trust will have access to the Library and Knowledge Service based at Kingsway Hospital in Derby.

Some of the many services available are:

• Library catalogue - To find out what books and e-books are available, renew your books and request or reserve books, please visit the library catalogue 
• Book and journal requests - If you cannot find the book or journal article you're looking for, the Library and Knowledge Service can usually obtain them for you through other routes.
• Evidence searching – The Library and Knowledge Service provides an evidence search service to identify journal articles and other evidence to support your work and study. 

Where can you find us?

The Library and Knowledge Service is based at the Ashbourne Centre, Kingsway Hospital, in Derby. 

Contact us: dhcft.kingsway.library@nhs.net

Clinical Audit

Clinical Audit is a quality improvement tool. It is a systematic review of care and clinical practice against specific criteria and evidence-based standards. It will either identify areas of weakness which need to be addressed or provide assurance of best practice.

Audit:

• Is based on facts (standards)
• Aims to evaluate how close practice is to best practice
• Is an ongoing process
• Is specific and local to one particular patient group – results are not transferable to other settings
• Aims to improve services
• Is practice based
• Never involves a new treatment

Contact Ranjit Badhan (Clinical Audit Co-ordinator) for clinical audit and other quality improvement methods, including service evaluation, by email ranjit.badhan1@nhs.net or phone 07584612717.