Dr Alan O’Rourke BA, MB ChB, M Sci
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)
University of Sheffield
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
Tel: (+44) (0) 114 222 1721
Fax: (+44) (0) 114 272 4095
Office: Room 3036
Biography
After a first career in medicine, I joined the University in 1997 to work on the Wisdom project, which explored using asynchronous electronic methods to deliver continuing education to healthcare professionals, and developed a series of on-line conferences in evidence-based practise, clinical governance and change management. I have also worked on the FOLIO programme of training courses for healthcare librarians. At present, I have the luxury of a three day a week teaching contract, most of which is spent supporting the School´s highly successful MPH programme as dissertation co-ordinator. I spend the rest of my time tinkering with two allotments and a model railway.
Research Interests
At present, I am on a teaching-only contract, so I am not research active. Previous research interests have included: clinical governance; health care informatics; and continuing professional education.
Teaching Interests
- ScHARR plagiarism officer
- Master in Public Health dissertation co-ordinator
- Module tutor for HAR 6054 Electronic Health records, on the Health Informatics M Sci course
- MB Ch B teaching (ILAs, small group tutorials)
- Research Training Programme GMH6050
- Sundry other lectures in ScHARR
- Personal and Action Learning Set tutor
Key Publications
Book Chapters
O'Rourke A (2005) Chapter 4: Critical appraisal (p.62 - 84) in Bowling A and Ebrahim S (Eds) Handbook of Health Research Methods: investigation, measurement and analysis Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press
Journal Articles - peer reviewed
Fox NJ, Ward KJ, O'Rourke AJ (2005) 'Expert Patients', Pharmaceuticals and the Medical Model of Disease: The Case of Weight Loss Drugs and the Internet', Social Science & Medicine 16(6): 1299-1309
Fox N, Ward K, O'Rourke A (2005) The birth of the e-clinic. Continuity or transformation in the UK governance of pharmaceutical consumption? Social Science & Medicine 61(7): 1474-1484. Available on line at: http://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0277953605001061
Fox N,, Ward K, O'Rourke A (2005) Pro-anorexia, weight loss drugs and the internet: an 'anti-recovery'explanatory model of anorexia Sociology of Health and Illness 27 (7): 944-71
Journal Articles - non-peer reviewed:
Sutton A, Booth A, Ayiku L, O'Rourke A (2005) e-FOLIO: using e-learning to learn about e-learning.Health Information Libraries Journal Dec 22 Suppl 2:84-8.
Railway History
O'Rourke A (2007) The Wreck of the "Darkie" Journal of the Irish Railway Record Society 23:101-4
O'Rourke A (2008-10) The Great Southern & Western Railway at the turn of the century Five Foot three (Journal of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland) part 1 no. 55: 36-43; part 2 no. 56: 30-6; part 3 in press .