PhD Studentship : Improving Recovery From Pneumonia After Hospitalisation

Start date: February 2024

The PhD project is clinically focused towards improving the recovery of patients who survive an episode of pneumonia. 

Supervisors:   Professor Tricia McKeever, Professor Charlotte Bolton, Professor Wei Shen Lim and Dr Manpreet Bains

 Pneumonia is a common illness that results in over 100,000 hospital admissions per year in the UK. Following hospital treatment for pneumonia, 55% of patients visit their GP within 30 days of discharge from hospital while 15% are readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge. Symptoms from pneumonia commonly persist for over 6 weeks following initial treatment. Despite the high morbidity experienced and described by patients, there is very little research into how to improve patient care during recovery from pneumonia.

The PhD student will determine the burden of recovering from pneumonia on primary care consultations and hospital readmission episodes in the post-pandemic period compared to the pre-pandemic period. The burden of recovering from other acute respiratory infections (respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV2 virus) will also be compared. These analyses will be conducted using nationally representative databases; the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) and Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES).

The second part of the PhD project will involve piloting an interventional clinical trial at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard of care (which includes a patient information sheet) or standard of care plus a nurse-led phone contact. Objectives: 1) To determine patients’ perspective on a pneumonia information leaflet provided at the time of hospital discharge in accordance with the NICE Pneumonia guideline (standard of care), and what additional information could be included. 2) To determine if nurse-led telephone support in the week following hospital discharge, in addition to standard of care, can reduce primary care consultations during recovery from pneumonia, compared to standard of  care alone; 3) To measure Quality of Life in a representative cohort of patients post-discharge – this will inform future trial design. The pilot will provide data on trial acceptability, eligibility, recruitment, retention, follow on and other measures relevant to design of a clinical trial.  Alongside the qualitative study, we would aim to establish an Acute Respiratory Infections patient and public interest group as a national resource to support other studies in this field.

Who is this PhD suitable for? This PhD is suitable for a hard-working researcher with an interest in respiratory infections. Essential skills: A BSc degree or equivalent ideally in a health related field, excellent computer literacy, good inter-personal communications skills. Desirable skills: Previous experience in medical statistical analyses, strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of scientific research and / or experience of qualitative research.  

Funding notes

The three year studentship covers tuition fees and a tax-free stipend. UK STUDENTS ONLY

Informal inquiries can be made to tricia.mckeever@nottingham.ac.uk

Application details: to apply for this PhD opportunity, click the 'Apply' button above and please submit the following documents to tricia.mckeever@nottingham.ac.uk

• Cover letter outlining your research interests and motivation to pursue this project.
• Curriculum vitae detailing your academic background, research experience, and relevant skills.
• Academic transcripts of your previous degrees.

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