Funding from the Imperial NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has recently been awarded to set up the Imperial Centre for Patient Experience Research (ICPER). This multidisciplinary centre’s research work will directly benefit patients and the local population, by enabling research findings to be rapidly translated into evidence-based initiatives to improve patient experience and transform care.

Imperial College London has an international reputation for research excellence in science, technology and medicine. It does not have a dedicated social science faculty, but there are a number of applied social and behavioural scientists scattered across different departments. The ICPER will draw this expertise together, and will bring new researchers on board to provide critical mass and contribute to training and academic supervision.

The ICPER will provide advice for clinical researchers in areas requiring social and qualitative research skills. The team anticipates offering support to a range of clinical researchers who need to use qualitative and social research methods to understand adherence, acceptability, patient experience and patient reported outcomes in relation to research. This will involve close working with the Imperial Clinical Trials Unit (ICTU) to ensure that investigators are aware of the advice available to them and when it might be appropriate to seek input.

To deliver the centre’s vision, researchers will work with the Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality (CPSSQ), the Centre for Infection Prevention and Management (CIPM), the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for North West London. By working closely with those responsible for day-to-day work at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in improving patient experience and outcomes, the ICPER will help ensure that advances in research are translated into better care.

Centre Director Professor Helen Ward (left) said: “High quality healthcare requires excellence in the three domains of clinical effectiveness, safety and patient experience. The Imperial centre will carry out qualitative and quantitative research to understand how patients experience their care, identify aspects they value and explore how these can be improved. By working closely with partners involved in managing services as well as groups working on related areas of patient safety and engagement, our work will directly benefit patients and the local population, as well as producing academic outputs that will influence the healthcare community.”