Dr Alexis Foster
BA (Hons) MPH PhD
School of Medicine and Population Health
Senior Research Fellow
Research Design Service Advisor
+44 114 222 6129
Full contact details
School of Medicine and Population Health
3012, Regent Court
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
- Profile
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I am a mixed-methods researcher specialising in the voluntary sector including charities and community groups (VCSEs) and social prescribing. I use participatory action research approaches to involve stakeholders and influence practice. I have worked as a researcher since 2011, mainly based in the Health and Care Research Unit. Before then, I worked in and with the voluntary sector. I am still actively involved in the voluntary sector as a trustee.
My areas of expertise include:
Supporting the VCSE Paid Workforce- I am leading an NIHR funded multi-case action research study exploring how to improve professional support for paid staff within the voluntary sector (Implementing professional support for the voluntary sector workforce: A multi-case action research study - NIHR Funding and Awards). This study is working in partnership with people from the voluntary sector. We are using action research to improve support for paid staff with the longer-term aim of reducing staff burnout and improving staff retention.
Social Prescribing- I have conducted a number of studies focused on social prescribing. This includes an evaluation of a national British Red Cross social prescribing service for people experiencing loneliness (Impact of social prescribing to address loneliness: A mixed methods evaluation of a national social prescribing programme - Foster - 2021 - Health & Social Care in the Community - Wiley Online Library) and an evaluation of a UK Government funded Green Social Prescribing programme National Evaluation of the Preventing and Tackling Mental Ill Health through Green Social Prescribing Project: Final Report - March 2021 to June 2023 | Sheffield Hallam University
Developing evaluation/research and impact capacity within Local Authorities and Voluntary Sector Organisations- I work with local authorities and voluntary sector organisations to support them to develop skills in research/evaluation and impact. For example I work on the Doncaster Health Determinants Research Collaboration ( Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Doncaster - City of Doncaster Council. Another example is supporting voluntary sector organisations with implementing outcome measures https://issuu.com/niftyfoxcreative/docs/proms_booklet_final
Systems mapping process evaluation- I am conducting a systems mapping process evaluation of an intervention aimed to reduce excess weight amongst young children (Henry III study - Henry III study, University of York)
Improving diagnosis and treatment pathways with a health inequalities perspective- I work on studies which aim to improve diagnosis and treatment pathways especially for people experiencing healthy inequalities. Recent examples include for people experiencing Painful Neuropathy and Molar Pregnancies. I lead on the qualitative work and stakeholder engagement- especially in terms of utilising study findings to improve services.
- Qualifications
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BA (Hons)- Social Science and Politics- 1st Class- University of Sheffield, MPH- Distinction, University of Sheffield, PhD- University of Sheffield
- Research interests
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My main areas are the voluntary sector and social prescribing. I am also passionate about research that seeks to improve services especially in terms of non-medical pathways. and the wider socioeconomic determinants of health.
- Publications
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Journal articles
- What factors predict ambulance prealerts to the emergency department? Retrospective observational study from three UK ambulance services. BMJ Open, 15(3). View this article in WRRO
- Evaluating a grant development public involvement funding scheme: a qualitative document analysis. Research Involvement and Engagement, 10. View this article in WRRO
- Developing the embedded researcher role: Learning from the first year of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC), Doncaster, UK. Public Health in Practice, 7, 100516-100516.
- Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a sustainable obesity prevention programme for preschool children delivered at scale ‘HENRY’ (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young): protocol for the HENRY III cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 14(3), e081861-e081861.
- Exploring the impact of a housing support service on hospital discharge: a mixed-methods process evaluation in two UK hospital trusts. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2023. View this article in WRRO
- Service users’ perspectives of a national social prescribing programme to address loneliness and social isolation: a qualitative study. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2023.
- Health literacy interventions for reducing the use of primary and emergency services for minor health problems: a systematic review. Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 10(38), 1-222.
- Learning from the challenges of undertaking an evaluation of a multi-partner housing support initiative delivered within a hospital setting. Public Health in Practice, 4, 100333-100333.
- Using co-production to implement patient reported outcome measures in third sector organisations: a mixed methods study. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 6(1).
- An intervention to promote self-management, independence and self-efficacy in people with early-stage dementia: the Journeying through Dementia RCT.. Health Technol Assess, 26(24), 1-152.
- Using knowledge brokering to produce community-generated evidence. Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice. View this article in WRRO
- Identifying the evidence base of interventions supporting mental health nurses to cope with stressful working enviroments: a scoping review. Journal of Nursing Management.
- Impact of social prescribing to address loneliness: a mixed methods evaluation of a national social prescribing programme. Health & Social Care in the Community.
- How do third sector organisations or charities providing health and wellbeing services in England implement patient reported outcome measures (PROMs)?: A qualitative interview study. BMJ Open, 10. View this article in WRRO
- Connecting communities: A qualitative investigation of the challenges in delivering a national social prescribing service to reduce loneliness. Health & Social Care in the Community. View this article in WRRO
- Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of the Journeying through Dementia (JtD) intervention compared to usual care. BMJ Open, 9(9). View this article in WRRO
- The facilitators and barriers to implementing patient reported outcome measures in organisations delivering health related services: a systematic review of reviews. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes. View this article in WRRO
- An evidence-based approach to the use of telehealth in long-term health conditions: development of an intervention and evaluation through pragmatic randomised controlled trials in patients with depression or raised cardiovascular risk. Programme Grants for Applied Research, 5(1). View this article in WRRO
- Cost-effectiveness modelling of telehealth for patients with raised cardiovascular disease risk: evidence from a cohort simulation conducted alongside the Healthlines randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 6(9). View this article in WRRO
- Cost-effectiveness of telehealth for patients with raised cardiovascular disease risk: evidence from the Healthlines randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 6(8), e012352-e012352. View this article in WRRO
- Cost-effectiveness of telehealth for patients with depression: evidence from the Healthlines randomised controlled trial. British Journal of Psychiatry Open, 2(4), 262-269. View this article in WRRO
- The Contribution of Therapist Effects to Patient Dropout and Deterioration in the Psychological Therapies. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. View this article in WRRO
- Being Human: A Qualitative Interview Study Exploring Why a Telehealth Intervention for Management of Chronic Conditions Had a Modest Effect. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(6). View this article in WRRO
- Telehealth for patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease: pragmatic randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 353. View this article in WRRO
- Effectiveness of an integrated telehealth service for patients with depression: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a complex intervention. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(6), 515-525. View this article in WRRO
- Increasing follow-up questionnaire response rates in a randomized controlled trial of telehealth for depression: three embedded controlled studies. Trials, 17. View this article in WRRO
- Who does not participate in telehealth trials and why? A cross-sectional survey. Trials, 16(1). View this article in WRRO
- The self-management of longer-term depression: learning from the patient, a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 15(1). View this article in WRRO
- Exploring the components and impact of social prescribing. Journal of Public Mental Health, 14(3), 127-134. View this article in WRRO
- Innovation in health economic modelling of service improvements for longer-term depression: demonstration in a local health community.. BMC Health Serv Res, 13, 150. View this article in WRRO
Conference proceedings papers
- Facilitating hospital discharge through housing support : a mixed-methods evaluation of a housing association support service in two UK hospitals. The Lancet, Vol. 398(Supplement 2) (pp S53-S53). Virtual conference, 25 November 2021 - 25 November 2021. View this article in WRRO
Reports
- View this article in WRRO
- What factors predict ambulance prealerts to the emergency department? Retrospective observational study from three UK ambulance services. BMJ Open, 15(3). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Health and Care Research Unit
- Grants
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NIHR HSDR- Implementing professional support for the voluntary sector workforce: A multi-case action research study (https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR159286) (PI: Alexis Foster)
- Teaching interests
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I am passionate about supporting students to undertake research with the Voluntary sector.
- Teaching activities
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I supervise Masters Dissertations and PhDs. I am taking on PhD students.
- Professional activities and memberships
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I am a member of the NIHR- Health and Care Services Delivery Research Funding Panel.
I am a member of the School of Medicine and Population Health Athena SWAN Committee.
I review funding applications for the NIHR and review articles for a variety of journals.
I mentor early career researchers and clinicians/ public health workers.