The Centre started the academic year for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students with it's annual, week-long Summer School on January 16. The Summer School program included a variety of sessions featuring presentations by HDR students showcasing different elements of their projects and sharing their very practical experiences of undertaking research projects. Masterclasses in study design, qualitative research methods, writing for publication and using social media in research were run throughout the week. Each day started with a 90 minute 'shut-up and write' session facilitated by the UTS library. Students also had the opportunity to meet and network with the newly appointed Centre Consumer Advisory Group members.
The week finished with presentations from two visiting scholars from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore. Ms Tamryn Gray, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Future of Nursing Scholar, from the JHU School of Nursing, presented her doctoral project, which explores how nurses influence the patient and family decision-making process across the disease trajectory of patients with chronic illnesses, particularly in paediatric oncology populations. Tamryn’s project aims to increase understanding of the impact, role, and needs of patients and families as members of the healthcare team.
A/Prof John Bridges, from the Department of Health and Policy Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, discussed the application of stated-preference methods in medicine and public health that utilise both qualitative and quantitative methods, to understand the priorities of patients and stakeholders. His presentation focussed on a practical demonstration of stated-preference methods and how this can help us understand the needs and wants of patients with chronic illnesses in healthcare decision making.