NIHR Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme

The Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme aims to produce rigorous and relevant evidence to improve the quality, accessibility and organisation of health and social care services.

The HSDR Programme is funded by the NIHR with specific contributions from Health and Care Research Wales, the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) in Scotland and the HSC R&D Division, Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland.

The HSDR programme funds evaluative research that has the potential to improve health and social care services. Research may be primary (qualitative and/or quantitative), secondary and evidence syntheses.  Typical projects are mixed-methods studies with a clear focus on the organisation and quality of care. There should also be a focus on the experience of patients, staff and service users. Projects will often include an analysis of routine and linked data on service use, activity and outcomes. A variety of study designs are considered and examples include:

• major implementation studies on stroke configuration
• pragmatic trials of risk stratification tools
• evaluation of complex frailty hubs
• evidence synthesis of strengths-based approaches to social work practice
• realist evaluation of intentional nursing rounds
• organisational studies on effective board governance
• ethnographic research on the experience of inpatients with dementia in hospital wards

For more information visit the National Institute for Health and Care Research website.