项目介绍

2021年8月4日

About the course

The Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences is the top-ranked centre for academic primary care in the UK and leads world-class research and training to rethink the way healthcare is delivered in general practice and the community, encompassing may aspects of public health provision, both across the UK and globally.

Integrating evidence and innovation, the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences’ main research focus is on the prevention, early diagnosis and management of common illnesses.

The department has methodological strengths in qualitative and applied research; randomised trials; analysis of big data; and evidence synthesis. Much of its research is interdisciplinary and strongly focused on producing benefits for healthcare systems, for the population and for patients.

The department has research groups that are involved in developing and testing complex interventions to prevent non-communicable disease, enhancing self-management of chronic conditions, changing practitioner behaviour and testing interventions for the optimal management of infectious disease. 

You can find a list of potential projects on the department’s website (see Further Information and Enquiries). If you are interested in one of the listed projects please contact the supervisor directly. You are welcome to come up with your own research project. If this is the case, the department’s website also provides an overview of the research conducted and the researchers in the department (see Further Information and Enquiries). Contact the supervisor(s) that you identify as being most suitable for your proposed project.

Admission to the DPhil is highly competitive. The DPhil programme provides you with a strong training environment and a broad range of research areas and supervisor expertise. Previous research topics (student background in square brackets) include:

• The evaluation and expansion of methodologies relating to the reporting and analyses of intermediate test results: improving the clinical utility of diagnostic research [statistician]
• Targeted prevention and management of cardiovascular risk in low and middle income countries; an implementation intervention for cardiovascular risk scoring in Kenya [nurse/midwife]
• Antibiotic prescribing and resistance in primary care: implications for intervention [GP]
• Optimising the management of hypertension in pharmacies [pharmacist]
• Management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in the postpartum period [obstetrician]
• Using conversation analysis to evaluate and design a brief weight loss intervention in primary care [anthropologist]
• Self-management of weight in adults with overweight and obesity: characterising and evaluating cognitive and behavioural strategies [behavioural scientist]
• Weight loss as a predictor of cancer in primary care [GP]
• The optimisation of HbA1c testing in UK primary care [statistician]
• An exploration of the information and decision support needs of people with multiple sclerosis [social scientist]
• Developing and evaluating behavioural interventions to reduce meat consumption [psychologist]
• Supporting successful self-management strategies for people living with chronic pain who have been excluded from pain programmes [physiotherapist]
• Developing and testing an intervention to reduce salt intake [public health]

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences.

As a minimum, students are expected to meet with their supervisors at least three times per term. Most supervisors meet students at least fortnightly in the first few terms, and this may continue throughout the studentship according to the needs of the student and the project.

Assessment

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four term as a full-time PRS student or eight terms as a full-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require satisfactory progress, submission of a transfer report of up to 5,000 words, and completion of a viva voce assessment. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to be done within nine terms of admission for full-time students and eighteen terms of admission for part-time students.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students will be expected to submit a substantial, original thesis of up to 50,000 words after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Primary Health Care you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Many of the department’s graduates have developed flourishing careers as researchers in the department. Other alumni from the DPhil have gone on to research careers; lectureships or leadership positions in academic departments around the world, including primary care, public health and as methodologists in a range of other departments. Others take up careers in health care leadership or public policy.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

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