Professor Alicia O'Cathain

BSc, MSc, MA, PhD

School of Health and Related Research

Professor of Health Services Research

Alicia O'Cathain
Profile picture of Alicia O'Cathain
a.ocathain@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0770

Full contact details

Professor Alicia O'Cathain
School of Health and Related Research
3015
Regent Court (ScHARR)
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
Profile

I am Director of the Health and Care Research Unit which focuses on the development and evaluation of complex interventions and services in healthcare, social care and third sector organisations. I have helped to develop interventions and evaluate them, leading the qualitative research and process evaluations. I also use mixed methods to understand service users' experiences of care. I am currently exploring how best to help patients to manage minor health problems. I have written extensively on methodology (how best to undertake mixed methods research, focusing more recently on qualitative methods with randomised controlled trials, and how to develop complex interventions).

Current projects

  • HLI - a systematic review of interventions to improve health literacy and reduce use of emergency and urgent care for minor health problems

  • Learning from COVID to make RCTs more efficient

  • STOP-OHSS (Shaping and Trialling Outpatient Protocols for Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome)

  • ADAPT - Writing guidance on how to adapt effective interventions to different contexts

  • DEUCE (Drivers of Demand for Emergency and Urgent CarE services)

  • RHABIT - Recording Harms in Behavioural intervention Trials
  • NIHR Palliative Care Network
  • PREHAB CARDIAC Developing a programme of research for prehabilitation for cardiac care
  • OptiCALS Optimising nutrition for people with Motor Neurone Disease
Research interests

Mixed methods, evaluation of new health services, patient views of health care, using qualitative research with RCTs, developing complex interventions.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

Book reviews

Conference proceedings papers

Scholarly editions

  • McTaggart-Cowan H, O'Cathain A, Tsuchiya A & Brazier J (2009) A qualitative study exploring the general population’s perception of rheumatoid arthritis after being informed about disease adaptation. RIS download Bibtex download

Posters

  • Stone T, O'Cathain A & Knowles E (2016) VARIATION IN INTERPRETATION OF GUIDANCE AS AN EXPLANATION OF BETWEEN-SERVICE VARIATION IN AMBULANCE QUALITY INDICATORS ON NON-CONVEYANCE. RIS download Bibtex download

Presentations

  • Togher F, Turner J, Siriwardena AN & O'Cathain A What do users value about the emergency ambulance service? (vol 32, e9, 2015). RIS download Bibtex download

Other

  • Relton C, Thomas KJ & O'Cathain A (2009) Homeopathy: the clinical picture is no clearer Response. HOMEOPATHY, 98(1), 71-71. RIS download Bibtex download
  • NICHOLL JP & OCATHAIN A (1988) SLEEPING POSITION AND SIDS. LANCET, 2(8602), 106-106. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Nicholl JP, O'Cathain A & Mcglashan ND (1988) SLEEPING POSITION AND SIDS. The Lancet, 332(8602), 106. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Research group

PhD Students

Teaching interests
  • Research methods
Teaching activities
  • Deputy Module Lead for Research Methods Online on Masters programmes in ScHARR.
  • I lead a Short Course in Intervention Development.
  • I run mixed methods workshops for PhD candidates.
  • I was Chair of the ScHARR Postgraduate Research Committee 2008-2012.
Professional activities and memberships
  • Panel Member of NIHR HS&DR Programme 2021-2023
  • Panel Member of NIHR Applied Research Programme Grants 2007-2017
  • Deputy Chair of MRC Population Health Science Fellowships Panel 2010-2014
  • Associate Editor of Journal of Mixed Methods Research 2007-2012