This problem is a UK government area of research interest (ARI) that was originally posted at <a target='_blank' href='https://ari.org.uk/'>https://ari.org.uk/</a> by a UK government organisation to indicate that they are keen to see research related to this area.ARI 1: early action to prevent poor health outcomes

Research objective: Research to understand and deliver prevention, timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention for people at increased risk of poor health (in particular obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health and cancer) to prevent excess deaths, improve population health (including the health of the working age population), reduce disparities and reduce reliance on health and social care.

Priority research topics: Developing, evaluating and understanding how to implement interventions which prevent health problems developing, accurately identify those at risk, effectively manage risk factors and treat conditions early, and manage health problems to prevent severe disease in the 4 areas set out below.

- Prevent: Interventions to prevent health problems, developing effective routes to reach those who are most at risk or marginalised, and understanding how to effectively implement proven interventions at scale (for example, antihypertensives, mental health programmes for children and young people, vaccines for cancer or workplace preventative interventions).

- Identify: New ways of identifying those most at risk (for example, predictive analysis of GP records to identify those who would benefit from early intervention, new methods of cancer screening and new approaches to diagnosing the causes of chest pains).

- Treat: Interventions early in the course of disease progression (for example, social prescribing, early intervention for cancer or interventions to enable people to remain in or return to work).

- Manage: Interventions to improve the management of multiple long-term conditions (for example, how to manage side effects in polypharmacy), prevent acute events (such as heart attacks, strokes and mental health crises) and ensure effective rehabilitation after these events to reduce long-term illness and disability.Suboptimal management of risk factors for common diseases (including hypertension, poor metabolic control, late detection of cancers and poor mental health): - drives morbidity and mortality - reduces the proportion of the population able to work and impacts healthcare delivery within the NHS and social care systems Cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and many cancers are increasing in prevalence in the UK. For example, there were 5.8% more cancer diagnoses in 2019 compared to 2017 and diagnosed diabetes has increased from 2% of the population in 1994 to 7% in 2019, including sharp increases in those aged under 40 years. Mental health problems spiked during the pandemic, and in children and young people remain above pre-pandemic levels. Among 17 to 19 year olds, the proportion with a probable mental disorder increased from 17.4% in 2021 to 25.7% in 2022. The costs to the individual, the health and care system and the economy is large. In 2022, around 2.5 million people in the UK were economically inactive due to ill health, an increase of 688,000 since 2019. Cardiovascular disease costs the UK economy £15.8 billion a year and the NHS £7.4 billion, while the NHS spent over £10 billion on diabetes care in 2019, with one in 6 hospital beds occupied by someone with diabetes. Research is needed into how best to prevent disease, ensure timely diagnosis and develop appropriate interventions to prevent acute events and chronic disease. This could significantly improve health and economic outcomes for individuals, support a healthy workforce and reduce pressure on the NHS and social care. For example, preventative interventions and early diagnosis are estimated to reduce strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases by 150,000 over 10 years, saving £2.3 for every £1 spent. In England, more than 90% of people survive bowel, breast and ovarian cancer for at least 5 years if diagnosed at the earliest stage, and Cancer Research UK estimates the cost of treating late-stage colon, rectal, lung and ovarian cancer is nearly two and a half times the amount for early-stage treatment (PDF, 1.35MB). In England, early interventions for mental health problems can reduce hospital admissions, shorten hospital stays and require fewer high-cost intensive interventions potentially saving up to £38 million per year.Contact detailsSee https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-of-health-areas-of-research-interest/ for more information.Related UKRI Projects<ul><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=104106">IsosHealth—direct access to world leading Allied Health Professionals via enhanced digital support clinics</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FN012038%2F1">The effects of a tailored health warning on socio-economic behaviours and health outcomes</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FK02325X%2F1">Fuse, the Centre for Translational Reseach in Public Health (renewal)</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FK021583%2F1">The effect of intervention on individual health: application of methods to analyse heterogeneity of treatment and heterogeneity of treated.</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FK023241%2F1">The Centre of Excellence for Public Health (NI) - Phase II (CoEfPHNI/II)</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=710632">Outcomes Based Healthcare: Passively Predicting Health Outcomes</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=G0901474%2F1">Methods for strengthening evaluation and implementation: specifying components of behaviour change interventions</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FK023233%2F1">DECIPHer: Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FK023209%2F1">Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10040946">PROPHET</a></li></ul>

ARI 1: early action to prevent poor health outcomes

Research objective: Research to understand and deliver prevention, timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention for people at increased risk of poor health (in particular obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health and cancer) to prevent excess deaths, improve population health (including the health of the working age population), reduce disparities and reduce reliance on health and social care.

Priority research topics: Developing, evaluating and understanding how to implement interventions which prevent health problems developing, accurately identify those at risk, effectively manage risk factors and treat conditions early, and manage health problems to prevent severe disease in the 4 areas set out below.

- Prevent: Interventions to prevent health problems, developing effective routes to reach those who are most at risk or marginalised, and understanding how to effectively implement proven interventions at scale (for example, antihypertensives, mental health programmes for children and young people, vaccines for cancer or workplace preventative interventions).

- Identify: New ways of identifying those most at risk (for example, predictive analysis of GP records to identify those who would benefit from early intervention, new methods of cancer screening and new approaches to diagnosing the causes of chest pains).

- Treat: Interventions early in the course of disease progression (for example, social prescribing, early intervention for cancer or interventions to enable people to remain in or return to work).

- Manage: Interventions to improve the management of multiple long-term conditions (for example, how to manage side effects in polypharmacy), prevent acute events (such as heart attacks, strokes and mental health crises) and ensure effective rehabilitation after these events to reduce long-term illness and disability.

This problem is a UK government area of research interest (ARI) that was originally posted at <a target='_blank' href='https://ari.org.uk/'>https://ari.org.uk/</a> by a UK government organisation to indicate that they are keen to see research related to this area.ARI 2: reduction of compound pressures on the NHS and social care

Research objective: Research to evaluate interventions to improve patient outcomes and reduce pressure across the health and care system through preventing avoidable admissions, innovations to make routine care more efficient and resilient, smart discharge, and through effective pandemic preparedness and new treatments to tackle a range of infectious diseases.

Priority research topics: Identifying factors across the system that drive admission, delayed discharge and readmission and using this information to design more effective and targeted interventions including systems approaches such as developing, evaluating and understanding:
- the role that all parts of the health system, from community and primary care through to hospital-based and social care, play in delivering better outcomes for people, and how the system can work effectively together to plan for and respond to compound pressures including infections with pandemic potential
- how to implement effective interventions to prevent avoidable admissions among vulnerable people (for example, warm homes, cool spaces, vaccination, hospital at home)
- how to implement effective preventive and treatment interventions for illnesses that cause excess burden in winter (such as influenza), during extreme heat and infections with pandemic potential
- how to implement interventions which enable routine health services to continue during times of increased pressure (for example, modern, minimally invasive procedures, online booking systems, care at home)
- how to implement interventions that can reduce hospital stay, promote smart discharge and reduce staff burdenCompound pressures on the health and care system include additional health care needs in winter, during extreme heat events and during epidemics or pandemics. These interact with other pressures including increases in the cost of living, disease levels post-COVID and the operational pressures that the NHS and social care face. The UK’s ageing population and NHS workforce pressures mean that demand will continue to increase. On average over 32,000 excess deaths occur every winter in England and Wales with approximately 40% of excess winter deaths attributable to cardiovascular diseases and around 33% to respiratory diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus and influenza which peak in winter. Excess heat events are projected to increase with climate change, with negative health impacts particularly for elderly and vulnerable people, while the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were huge. Research is needed to identify those most at risk and to develop and evaluate interventions to prevent them from becoming unwell and intervening early if they do. For example, 26% of acute hospital admissions would be potentially avoidable if medical interventions were provided prior to admission (PDF, 344KB). Research is also needed on how best all parts of the health and care system can better prepare for and respond to these pressures, including pandemic preparedness. This research could improve public and patient outcomes, reduce costs to the NHS and social care, improve services and support economic growth.Contact detailsSee https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-of-health-areas-of-research-interest/ for more information.Related UKRI Projects<ul><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FV009508%2F1">Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 on the provision of NHS health care and patient outcomes</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=55210">Modelling the pathways of Health and Social Care following on from the impact from COVID19</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=56120">Covid-19 assessment tool development and deployment to care homes</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=85169">SHREWD Elective</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=58718">Dynamic demand planning</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=57310">efficiently managing the continuity of care of patients with Chronic illnesses during a national emergency.</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FV028502%2F1">IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON CARE HOME PATHWAYS, OUTCOMES AND SAFETY OF CARE</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FW021242%2F1">Using data to improve public health: COVID-19 secondment</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FN027000%2F1">Fast ASsessment and Treatment in Healthcare (FAST Healthcare)</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FV003887%2F1">COVID-19: Burden and impact in care homes - a mixed methods study</a></li></ul>

ARI 2: reduction of compound pressures on the NHS and social care

Research objective: Research to evaluate interventions to improve patient outcomes and reduce pressure across the health and care system through preventing avoidable admissions, innovations to make routine care more efficient and resilient, smart discharge, and through effective pandemic preparedness and new treatments to tackle a range of infectious diseases.

Priority research topics: Identifying factors across the system that drive admission, delayed discharge and readmission and using this information to design more effective and targeted interventions including systems approaches such as developing, evaluating and understanding:
- the role that all parts of the health system, from community and primary care through to hospital-based and social care, play in delivering better outcomes for people, and how the system can work effectively together to plan for and respond to compound pressures including infections with pandemic potential
- how to implement effective interventions to prevent avoidable admissions among vulnerable people (for example, warm homes, cool spaces, vaccination, hospital at home)
- how to implement effective preventive and treatment interventions for illnesses that cause excess burden in winter (such as influenza), during extreme heat and infections with pandemic potential
- how to implement interventions which enable routine health services to continue during times of increased pressure (for example, modern, minimally invasive procedures, online booking systems, care at home)
- how to implement interventions that can reduce hospital stay, promote smart discharge and reduce staff burden

This problem is a UK government area of research interest (ARI) that was originally posted at <a target='_blank' href='https://ari.org.uk/'>https://ari.org.uk/</a> by a UK government organisation to indicate that they are keen to see research related to this area.ARI 3: shaping and supporting the health and social care workforce of the future

Research objective: Research to optimise a public health, NHS, social care and wider health workforce that is effectively structured, trained, deployed and supported to deliver future effective and efficient models of healthcare which meet the needs of the UK’s ageing population.

Priority research topics: Developing future models of healthcare which effectively and efficiently meet the changing needs of the UK population. Developing, evaluating and understanding how to implement interventions to enable a diverse health and care workforce to deliver world-class care while addressing the current recruitment, retention and wellbeing issues such as:
- understanding the barriers to recruiting and retaining staff in the NHS and social care and identifying solutions including supporting wellbeing
- identifying how to structure the workforce to meet future health needs and how to drive cultural and behavioural change within organisations
- developing and evaluating interventions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of staff (for example, skills-mix, task-shifting and service integration)
- developing and evaluating technology-assisted workforce solutions to reduce burden on staff while maintaining patient outcomes (for example, diagnoses assisted by artificial intelligence, robotics to support surgery and care, remote monitoring of patients including hospital at home and virtual wards)4.3% of the UK population is expected to be aged 85 or over by 2045. As healthy life expectancy has not increased at the same rate, more years are now being spent in poor health, driving demand for health and social care services. The health and social care workforce are struggling to meet this increased demand. For example, the overall vacancy rate in adult social care was 10.7% in 2021 to 2022, while NHS vacancy rates were 11.9% in September 2021 compared to the labour market average of 4.2%. Staff turnover in adult social care was 29% in 2021 to 2022 with fewer people joining the workforce each year. The Health Foundation recently identified an overall workforce supply-demand gap of around 103,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts across the NHS and general practice in 2021 to 2022 (around 7% of estimated FTE workforce demand) and a 1 in 4 shortfall in GP and general practice nurse posts by 2030 to 2031. Research into new and more efficient models of care with a focus on prevention, combined with understanding how the health and social care workforce can be trained and supported to deliver them, are required to deliver high quality care more efficiently.Contact detailsSee https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-of-health-areas-of-research-interest/ for more information.Related UKRI Projects<ul><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FV016156%2F2">HEALTHIER WORKING LIVES AND AGEING FOR WORKERS IN THE CARE SECTOR: DEVELOPING CAREERS, ENHANCING CONTINUITY, PROMOTING WELLBEING (HWL)</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FH021698%2F1">The Care Life Cycle: Responding to the Health and Social Care Needs of an Ageing Society</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=MR%2FL006634%2F1">Extending Working Lives in the NHS: Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FY007980%2F1">Caring For Carers: Innovating For Workplace Health And Wellbeing Support</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10026967">Complete Care Companion - Gamification, Machine Learning and Automation to create a new kind of home care</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=71083">Rapid Job Creation for Social Care</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=134028">Business Health Matters</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=87833">NQM Dynamic Resilient Resourcing</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FV015389%2F1">Should I stay or should I go? - NHS staff retention in a post COVID19 world, challenges and prospects</a></li><li><a href="https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FS002480%2F1">Innovation Fellowship 3 - Enhancing organisational effectiveness by modernising support for working carers</a></li></ul>

ARI 3: shaping and supporting the health and social care workforce of the future

Research objective: Research to optimise a public health, NHS, social care and wider health workforce that is effectively structured, trained, deployed and supported to deliver future effective and efficient models of healthcare which meet the needs of the UK’s ageing population.

Priority research topics: Developing future models of healthcare which effectively and efficiently meet the changing needs of the UK population. Developing, evaluating and understanding how to implement interventions to enable a diverse health and care workforce to deliver world-class care while addressing the current recruitment, retention and wellbeing issues such as:
- understanding the barriers to recruiting and retaining staff in the NHS and social care and identifying solutions including supporting wellbeing
- identifying how to structure the workforce to meet future health needs and how to drive cultural and behavioural change within organisations
- developing and evaluating interventions to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of staff (for example, skills-mix, task-shifting and service integration)
- developing and evaluating technology-assisted workforce solutions to reduce burden on staff while maintaining patient outcomes (for example, diagnoses assisted by artificial intelligence, robotics to support surgery and care, remote monitoring of patients including hospital at home and virtual wards)

Department for Health and Social Care (GB)

Octopus publications