Better out-patient services for older people

Researcher: Daniel Wolstenhome

Missed appointments are a significant issue for the UK National Health Service. Not only can this compromise treatment for individuals but it also carries a significant financial cost.

Better Out Patient Services for Older People (BOSOP) sought to build understanding of the experiences of older people accessing services and gain insight into some of the factors that led to non-attendance of appointments. The research aimed to improve the experience of older people with complex needs using outpatient services at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield. The aim of greater respect for users’ dignity was particularly important.

Researchers utilised a range of creative methods to elicit the experiences of older people and key stakeholders who participated in the study including emotion mapping, patient narratives and participatory theatre. These methods sat within the broader methodology of Evidence Based Design (EBD) as developed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

BOSOP enabled patients and staff to develop proposals to improve patient experiences including a new appointment letter.

This project was in collaboration with

Prof. Andy Dearden, Dr. Simon Bowen Sheffield Hallam University

Mark Cobb (Clinical Director STH)

And was funded by The National Institute of Health Research