Work Programme | Health Care Research Wales

Consultation with Welsh Government Policy, NHS and Social Care leaders is key to developing and answering the right research questions at the Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre. This helps to ensure our research can be used to directly improve health and social care policy and practice.

Rapid evidence synthesis work programme

Evidence need	Research question	How the evidence will be used	Stakeholder Group
Value Based Health Care and Cost-effectiveness Analysis	How can Value-based Health Care and health economic methods better inform decision-making in Wales?	Inform value based health care cost-effectiveness analysis methods	Welsh Government Science Evidence Advice team
Supporting women, girls and people who menstruate to participate in sport/exercise	The effectiveness of interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in exercise/sport/physical activity: a rapid overview of reviews	Inform the Period Proud Action Plan – Action 10: options to improve and maintain exercise participation levels during menstruation	Gender policy team (policy)
Cost-effectiveness of life after stroke services	What is the cost-effectiveness of life after stroke services identifying specific examples or Return on Investment in terms of health and social care resource use?	Inform service provision (under transformation by NHS Executive)	Stroke Association
Interventions for obese patients (BMI >30) awaiting secondary care services	What interventions are effective for weight management and preventing decline in adults with severe obesity on waiting lists?	Prevent deterioration in obesity/mental health for these patients, inform national service provision	Obesity weight Mx clinic CTUHB with national links
Interventions to mitigate adverse effects (educational, health and wellbeing) of childhood parental separation for vulnerable children	What are the outcomes of children involved in private family law proceedings due to parental separation?	Inform development of multi-agency partnership working to meet the needs of vulnerable children from separating families and inform and influence Welsh Government policy in relation to this group of vulnerable children and young people	Cafcass Cymru (policy)
Make Every Contact Count (MECC) behaviour intervention	What is the most effective method of delivering MECC training?	To define, support and guide the Make Every Contact Count (MECC) training offer, both locally within our Health Board, and also nationally across the MECC delivery teams.	Public Health CTUHB
The cost effectiveness of step up at-home reablement services to reduce hospital admission and long term care needs	Pending	Inform policy and local authority social care funding and resource decisions	Policy team for domiciliary care and unpaid carers
The validity and effectiveness of risk prediction tools to identify patients suitable for surgery in low risk regional surgical hubs	What is the validity and effectiveness of risk prediction tools to identify patients suitable for surgery in low-risk regional surgical hubs?	Inform guidance for regional surgical hubs	Planned care Wales
The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of integrated health and social care service models e.g. community acute care services	Pending	Inform unscheduled service design across Wales	Bevan commission and NHS unscheduled care team
Medical Tourism	What are the costs and benefits to the NHS of outward medical tourism for elective surgery?	Inform healthcare policy on provision of after care on the NHS for patients bariatric surgery privately or abroad	Policy public health and inequalities
Identifying validated applicable patient reported outcome measures for goal attainment or change in function to use by AHPs and multi-professional teams across Wales	Pending	Inform development of a data dashboard for AHPs and rehabilitation services across Wales	Allied Health Profession Framework Wales
Effectiveness of interventions to enhance equity in health outcomes for patients with learning disabilities receiving the Liaison Service support	Pending	Inform Learning Disability Strategic Action Plan	Learning Disability team
Suicide & Self Harm Locations	What is the effectiveness of interventions other than physical means restriction to reduce suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths at public locations?	Inform national protocol	NHS Wales Executive
Models of health and care delivery to address multi-morbidity	Pending	Inform national programme and clinical network strategic planning	NHS Executive Senior Leadership team
Effectiveness of interventions in children and young people to maintain/enhance mental and emotional health & wellbeing, increase resilience and reduce the need for mental health services	Pending	Inform Health board programme development	Hywel Dda UHB

Primary research work programme

Evidence need	Research question	How the evidence will be used	Stakeholder Group
Population Data Science
Cost impact of palliative care on urgent healthcare services in Wales	Pending	Palliative care models and structures of funding	Palliative and End of Life Care (NHS)
Cost impact of patients with persistent pain on health care services in Wales	Pending	Inform national strategy and service provision	Chronic Pain Leads (NHS)
Evaluation of the Safe@Home initiative	Pending	Evaluate the Safe@Home initiative	Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
In house
Demedicalisation of gluten free products	De-medicalising gluten free products through a subsidy card scheme – exploring views on the scheme, including impact on quality of life, perceived economic implications and potential barriers to uptake.	Inform recommendations in review of Dispensing Volumes in Community Pharmacy Strategy	Pharmaceutical (Policy)
Evaluation of Women’s Health Services in Wales	Pending	Inform ongoing policy and service provision in this area	Quality and Nursing Directorate (policy)

This is the proposed Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre Work Programme January 20024 – March 2025. This may be amended should policy / practice evidence needs change (existing projects may be adapted or removed, and high priority questions may be added).