News Release

New task force in Leicester to combat asthma

University of Leicester researcher spearheads campaign that could serve as a model for community health care across UK

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Leicester

Dr. Monica Lakhanpaul, University of Leicester

image: Dr. Monica Lakhanpaul is a senior lecturer in child health and a consultant community padiatrician. view more 

Credit: University of Leicester

Dr Monica Lakhanpaul, Senior Lecturer in Child Health and Consultant Community Paediatrician and her co-researchers, have won a grant from the NIHR Health Services Research programme to work with the community, families, children and professionals to develop a tailored management and intervention programme for asthma in South Asian children in Leicester.

The team will be interviewing members of the community, children with asthma and their parents to give them a voice in academic and clinical forums, so that the end product interventions are informed by the views and experiences of people who suffer with asthma and who live with asthma patients.

"This means we will be developing services with the community for the community," said Dr Lakhanpaul. "The research will serve as a model for working collaboratively to develop community health care programmes across the UK – for all communities."

Dr Lakhanpaul said: "Asthma is one of the most common long-term childhood conditions, affecting 1 in 11 children in the UK. South Asian children with asthma suffer poorer health and outcomes than others.

"On completion, our research will provide evidence to be used when tailoring and delivering intervention programmes by providing a template for child, family, community and professional collaboration in intervention design that is intended to be transferrable to children with other chronic conditions or from other population groups.

The study will explore the perceptions and experiences of parents and children, the attitudes and experiences of the wider community in relation to child health and those of healthcare professionals involved in commissioning or delivering services for children and families."

An important feature about the study is how it brings together researchers in the medical field with social scientists and psychologists to work together.

Dr Lakhanpaul will lead a team from the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Leicester City Primary Care Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in order to work with South Asian children, adults and healthcare professionals to understand the problem and find solutions.

Her co-researchers are: Deborah Bird, Clinical Research Fellow on the project, University of Leicester; Lorraine Culley, Professor of Social Science and Health, De Montfort University; Jonathon Grigg, Professor, Queen Mary University London; Narynder Johal, Parent Representative ; Mark Johnson, Professor of Diversity in Health and Social Care, De Montfort University; Mel McFeeters, Consultant Nurse for Children's Respiratory Disease, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; Noelle Robertson,Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Research Director D Clin Psy, University of Leicester and Joanne Wilson, Paediatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Leicester City Primary Care Trust

Dr Lakhanpaul said: "In Leicester, a multi-cultural city with a 30% South Asian population, the rate of admission per 100,000 children was found to be 4.6 times higher in South Asian children than other children. One suggestion is that South Asian children are being under-diagnosed and under-treated at home and in the community, which may explain the increased use and need for hospital care."

The Management and Interventions for Asthma Study (MIA) will develop suggestions for improving access to, and use of, services and ways of increasing success and confidence in self-management of asthma amongst South Asian communities.

Dr Lakhanpaul said: "MIA's strength comes from its collaborative approach to research: it is hoped that by working with children, families and professionals, the study will be kept focussed on the issues that are important to the people affected by asthma and that the solutions are both practical and appropriate.

The lessons learnt from the study will help others to work collaboratively with communities to identify health issues which are of concern to them and to develop improved ways of tackling these.

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Notes to Editors: For more information on this please contact Dr Monica Lakhanpaul, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Leicester Department of Medical and Social Care Education, email ml103@le.ac.uk Phone: 0116 225 6529

Funding acknowledgement: This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services Research programme (project number 09/2001/19).

1.The National Institute for Health Research Health Services Research (NIHR HSR) programme funds research to improve the quality, effectiveness and accessibility of the NHS. The HSR programme addresses a broad range of aspects of service quality. In particular it focuses on three main dimensions of quality that are currently of central concern to the NHS: patient safety, patient experience and effectiveness of care. www.hsr.nihr.ac.uk

2.The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk


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