Exploring the co-location of health, physical activity and leisure
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the co-location of NHS health services, physical activity and leisure
IRAS ID
261778
Contact name
Natalie E Grinvalds
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ER13227199, Sheffield Hallam University Ethic Review ID
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 24 days
Research summary
The promotion of physical activity (PA) has become the focus of multiple strategies to reduce the burden of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) on the NHS. Health care professionals (HCPs) do not routinely prescribe PA for patients, citing barriers of time, knowledge and poor signposting. The co-location of facilities, such as health with social care, has led to improvements in service delivery, quicker referral, improved knowledge acquisition, shared learning and greater innovation. The National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) in Sheffield placed clinics within leisure centres (Graves and Concord) in an attempt to embed PA into treatment pathways. Currently no research has explored how, for whom, under what circumstances and why that the co-location of these services is working (or not) to help people become more active as a part of their treatment pathway as well as longer term.
Using a realist approach, this study seeks to explore what works for whom, under what circumstances and why for the co-location of health, leisure and PA. Realist research seeks to unearth the causal mechanisms of how and why a phenomena is working, rather than if it is working or not.
A rapid realist review (RRR) and interviews with capital NCSEM stakeholders has already been conducted to build initial theories. The next phase of the research is a realist evaluation which will consist of interviews with patients and HCPs that have experienced using services or working in the co-located facilities.
Interviews will be conducted with both patients and HCPs working in different clinical areas at Graves and Concord.These interviews will explore their views and experiences of the co-location model. The data from the interviews will be used to develop and refine theory about how, for whom, under what circumstances and why the co-location model generates outcomes (or not).
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1304
Date of REC Opinion
11 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion