Professor Alicia O'Cathain

BSc, MSc, MA, PhD

Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health

Professor of Health Services Research

Alicia O'Cathain
Profile picture of Alicia O'Cathain
a.ocathain@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0770

Full contact details

Professor Alicia O'Cathain
Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health
3015
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
Profile

I am Director of the Health and Care Research Unit which focuses on the development and evaluation of complex interventions and services in healthcare, social care and third sector organisations. I have helped to develop interventions and evaluate them, leading the qualitative research and process evaluations. I also use mixed methods to understand service users' experiences of care. I am currently leading a project to help men in surveillance for abdominal aortic aneurysms to manage anxiety and exit surveillance when appropriate. I have written extensively on methodology (how best to undertake mixed methods research, focusing more recently on qualitative methods with randomised controlled trials, and how to develop complex interventions).
 

NIHR Senior Investigator

Current projects

  • 2024 to 2028 NIHR HSDR DAMPEN-D Improving the Detection, Assessment, Management, and Prevention of delirium in hospices: A Cluster Randomised-Controlled Trial and Process Evaluation to evaluate and explain the effectiveness of the CLECC-Pal guideline implementation £2.3m (Workpackage Lead: process evaluation)
  • 2024 to 2029 NIHR PGfAR PREHAB-CARDIAC The development and evaluation of two Prehab interventions for patients undergoing elective and urgent heart surgery £2.7m (Workpackage Lead: qualitative)
  • 2024 to 2029 NIHR PGfAR DECIDE-TAD Mixed methods co-design and evaluation of a Decision Support Tool to enable shared decision making for people who are considering cascade screening for Thoracic Aortic Disease £2.9m (Workpackage Lead: qualitative)
  • 2024 to 2027 NIHR HSDR Implementing professional support for the voluntary sector workforce: A multi-case action research study £796,348 (Mentor co-applicant)
  • 2024 to 2026 NIHR Three Schools Dementia Research Programme Identifying brain health and dementia research priorities with a Somali community and developing inclusive dementia research methods £175,227 (Co-applicant)
  • 2023 to 2026 NIHR HTA A Patient-reported outcome measure for PRolApse, Incontinence and meSh complication surgEry: The APPRAISE study £1.5 million (Workpackage Lead: Qualitative)
  • 2023 to 2024 NIHR PGfAR OPTimising the prevention, identification and management of ICU-Delirium £150k (Co-applicant)
  • 2023 to 2024 NIHR HSDR To co-design a toolkit of resources to support the implementation of individualised service funds for people with learning disabilities: EQUALD study £517k (Mentor Co-applicant)
  • 2022 to 2025 THIS Institute PhD Fellowship: Exploring variation in adherence to clinical practice guidelines in rare diseases using ADPKD as a disease model to improve the quality and safety of healthcare £221K (Second supervisor)
  • 2022 to 2025 NIHR HSDR National Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme: reducing the psychosocial consequences of screening and developing a patient-centred Exit Strategy £648k (Lead Investigator)
  • 2022 to 2027 NIHR PHR Evaluation of a sustainable obesity prevention programme delivered at scale ‘HENRY’: Effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and its role in obesity prevention within the wider complex system £1.9m (Work package Lead: Process Evaluation)
  • 2022 to 2023 NIHR PDG Pre-habilitation before cardiac surgery in the UK (CARDIAC PREHAB-UK) £142k (Co-applicant)
  • 2022 to 2024 NIHR The Yorkshire & Humber Palliative Care Research Network: Addressing Inequalities Across All Ages £150k (Co-applicant)
  • 2021 to 2024 NIHR Senior Investigator Award £80k
Research interests

Mixed methods, evaluation of new health services, patient views of health care, using qualitative research with RCTs, developing complex interventions.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

Book reviews

Conference proceedings papers

Scholarly editions

  • McTaggart-Cowan H, O'Cathain A, Tsuchiya A & Brazier J (2009) A qualitative study exploring the general population’s perception of rheumatoid arthritis after being informed about disease adaptation. RIS download Bibtex download

Posters

  • Stone T, O'Cathain A & Knowles E (2016) VARIATION IN INTERPRETATION OF GUIDANCE AS AN EXPLANATION OF BETWEEN-SERVICE VARIATION IN AMBULANCE QUALITY INDICATORS ON NON-CONVEYANCE. RIS download Bibtex download

Presentations

  • Togher F, Turner J, Siriwardena AN & O'Cathain A What do users value about the emergency ambulance service? (vol 32, e9, 2015). RIS download Bibtex download

Other

  • Relton C, Thomas KJ & O'Cathain A (2009) Homeopathy: the clinical picture is no clearer Response. HOMEOPATHY, 98(1), 71-71. RIS download Bibtex download
  • NICHOLL JP & OCATHAIN A (1988) SLEEPING POSITION AND SIDS. LANCET, 2(8602), 106-106. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nicholl JP, O'Cathain A & Mcglashan ND (1988) SLEEPING POSITION AND SIDS. The Lancet, 332(8602), 106. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Research group

Health and Care Research Unit (HCRU)

PhD Students

NIHR Postdoctoral Fellows

Teaching interests
  • Research methods
Teaching activities
  • Deputy Module Lead for Research Methods Online on Masters programmes in ScHARR.
  • I was Chair of the ScHARR Postgraduate Research Committee 2008-2012.
Professional activities and memberships
  • Panel Member of NIHR HS&DR Programme 2021-2024
  • Panel Member of NIHR Applied Research Programme Grants 2007-2017
  • Deputy Chair of MRC Population Health Science Fellowships Panel 2010-2014
  • Associate Editor of Journal of Mixed Methods Research 2007-2012