More than 30 case studies of applied health research illustrate how research partnerships can change policy and enable new forms of healthcare to be adopted across the NHS.
The series is published by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Oxford and Thames Valley (ARC OxTV) as it closes after six years of applied health and care research across the region. Its work brought together universities, NHS trusts, local authorities, charities, and communities to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in health and social care.
The newly published collection of case studies spans research that has changed policy and practice, along with evidence and methods that are being adopted into routine care. They also show how capacity-building has strengthened the region’s ability to produce and use health and care research.
Case studies include ARC OxTV’s evaluation of England’s digital weight management programme, which proved it was both cost-effective and equitable. This finding directly influenced an NHS commitment to double referrals into weight loss programmes, reaching 125,000 more people annually. The project was delivered in partnership with Newcastle University, NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care
The collection also shows how the ARC OxTV and its partners developed a digital programme to empower parents to treat child anxiety, which was shown to reduce the time children would need to spend with clinicians by 40%. Following a recommendation by NICE, digital health company Koa Health licensed the programme and is now supporting its delivery across the NHS. Over 1,000 families have used the programme, and more than 20 NHS areas – from Manchester to West Sussex – have committed to adopting it.
The collection is designed to help commissioners, researchers, clinicians, funders, or policymakers to find evidence they can act on to improve health and care services. Case studies are searchable by theme and are aligned to the NHS 10 Year Plan for transformation.
The ARC OxTV was hosted by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and led from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. It relaunches on 1st April as the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration: Thames Valley, co-led by the University of Oxford and Aston University.