Public Health

NETSCC manages five evaluation research programmes on behalf of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The Public Health research programme is one of these, but research in support of public health is an important part of the remit of all five programmes and accounts for a significant fraction of the total spend.

Research for public health leaflet (pdf format)

What do we mean by public health research?

NETS research to support public health addresses a wide range of questions that:

• evaluate NHS interventions delivered to whole groups with the aim of improving health (such as the Healthy Child Programme)
• evaluate NHS interventions targeted at individuals at higher risk of future ill-health to reduce their risk (such as smoking cessation)
• evaluate NHS interventions aimed at identifying those with early stage asymptomatic disease where early treatment improves prognosis
  (such as screening)
• evaluate the impact on health of interventions delivered outside the NHS, either at a group or population level (such as school-based healthy
  eating programmes or changes to the built environment) or at an individual level (such as one-to-one welfare advice)
• assess public health and preventive NHS services in relation to the organisation and delivery of healthcare and/or with the aim of improving
  service quality and patient safety.

For example:

• Evaluating the impact of introducing free bus travel on public health (PHR programme)
• Does metformin reduce excess birthweight in offspring of obese pregnant women? A randomised controlled trial of efficacy, exploration of mechanisms and evaluation of other pregnancy complications (EME programme)
• Public health governance and primary care delivery (SDO programme)
• Development and ongoing refinement of a triage tool for the use of critical care services during the H1N1 swine influenza pandemic (HTA programme)
• A randomised trial comparing leisure centre-based exercise on prescription, home-based walking and usual advice in primary care (HTA)

NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme

The HTA programme delivers research information about the effectiveness, costs and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests for those who plan, provide or receive care in the NHS. Public health research in the areas of disease prevention, screening programmes or components of screening programmes in a population context, is funded in both commissioned and researcher-led streams.

Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme

The EME programme is aimed at supporting ‘science driven’ studies with an expectation of substantial health gain. Proposed research must evaluate the clinical efficacy of an intervention, where proof of concept in humans has already been achieved, and may add significantly to our understanding of biological or behavioral mechanisms and processes. The EME programme is funded by the MRC and NIHR, with contributions from the CSO in Scotland and NISCHR in Wales. It is managed by the NIHR Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) based at the University of Southampton.

NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) programme

The PHR programme evaluates public health interventions, providing new knowledge on the benefits, costs, acceptability and wider impacts of non- NHS interventions intended to improve the health of the public and reduce inequalities in health.

NIHR Health Services Research (HSR) programme

The HSR programme provides funding for a broad range of health services research with the aim of improving service quality and patient safety. Health services relevant to public health are within remit. Researchers will be invited to submit both primary research and evidence syntheses proposals that would not currently be funded by existing NIHR, DH and MRC programmes, either due to remit or cost.

NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation (SDO) programme

The SDO aims to improve health outcomes for people by funding research evidence that improves practice in relation to the organisation and delivery of healthcare. It has a particular interest in public health and preventive services and workforce issues.