Managing risk

This work stream has been developed because, in treating frail elderly patients, one major issue is how to manage the risk of not admitting patients in primary care, and in discharging patients from secondary into primary care. In this work stream there is a strong focus on co-production of research projects to ensure that the research looks at questions that are useful to commissioners and service providers.

• Work stream leads: Sarah Purdy and Jonathan Benger
• Other HIT members: Helen Baxter, Peter Goyder, Melanie Chalder, Alyson Huntley

Objectives

• To understand the factors that influence how risk is managed in both primary and secondary care
• To work with commissioners and other stakeholders to understand how patients can be safely cared for in the community and kept out of hospital

Projects

• A programme to develop a rapid testing device to use in primary care, to reduce unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics. Funded by Elizabeth Blackwell Institute. Led Massimo Antognozzi
• Managing uncertainty to reduce emergency bed days in older patients. Funded by the National Institute for Health Research, Programme Development Grant, led by Sarah Purdy
• Discharge from secondary into primary care for elderly patients: clinical decision-making and risk management. Funded by APCRC and CLARCH West, led by Helen Baxter in collaboration with Bristol and South Gloucestershire CCGs
• Developing a 'rule' for managing abnormal test results in out-of hours primary care. Funded by APCRC, led by Helen Baxter in collaboration with BrisDoc
• An explorative study of the utility and acceptability of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) toolkit in primary care. Funded by the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute, led by Helen Baxter and Alyson Huntley, in collaboration with Bristol and South Gloucestershire CCGs