Knowledge Health and Place

Knowledge, Health and Place (KHP) is a transdisciplinary research group focussing on high impact research to make effective and sustainable social changes. Our research involves disciplines in the School of Health and Society (nursing, midwifery, social science, social work, digital information and psychology) and across the University (bio-engineering, life sciences) pooling expertise to mobilise knowledge and evidence for local, national and international stakeholders. KHP is interested in effective communication of knowledge across disciplines and in examining the role of human mobility across boundaries. We work with a wide range of academic and industry stakeholders and welcome new areas, innovations and partnerships.
Our work falls within 3 interlinked areas:
- Digital Health and Evidence-Based Practice – Knowledge, and information permeate all aspects of the digital society and are the cornerstone of evidence-based-practice. Led by Professor Alison Brettle, research within this theme aligns closely with the Long Term Conditions theme and includes transdisciplinary collaborations across the health and social care professions, information science and digital and social media to improve access to health and social care information to enable and support people to manage their own health. Other areas of work include systematic and scoping reviews of evidence to inform practice and policy making and evaluations of health library and information services.
- Global Health – Led by Professor Louise Ackers, our work has critiqued the very concept of global health encouraging a more genuinely transdisciplinary approach to respond to health system challenges in Low- and Middle-Income Countries [is there a link to a report or publications for this]. A significant body of our research on professional voluntarism and student mobilities has informed national and international policy and created an evidence base to support more sustainable and democratic approaches to foreign engagement in Overseas Development Assistance. KHP works closely with our Operational Partner, Knowledge for Change, a UK and Ugandan registered NGO to co-create and mobilise knowledge on the Ugandan health system. This includes substantive projects on maternal and new-born health; bio-medical engineering; anti-microbial resistance and rehabilitation services underpinned by a constant emphasis on health systems.
- Longterm Conditions – Long-term conditions are increasingly prevalent, both in the UK and globally. Conditions include chronic kidney disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, mental health and cancer. Many people live for many years with a LTC, creating new opportunities and challenges for knowledge and research. Led by Professor Paula Ormandy, research conducted by KH&P aims to improve people’s ability to manage their long-term conditions and improve their quality of life as well as reducing demand on health and social services. A key focus of work in this theme is transdisciplinary research bringing together digital and social media expertise with clinicians and health information specialists to aid self-management.