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Sarah Milosevic

Dr Sarah Milosevic

Research Associate - Qualitative

School of Medicine

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

I'm a qualitative researcher interested in evidence-based patient information and informed consent, particularly for women in the perinatal period, and for IVF and genetics patients. My wider interests are in exploring influences on the health decisions of patients and clinicians (particularly risk communication in maternity care) and inequitable healthcare access. I welcome research collaborations in these fields - please get in touch if you are interested in discussing ideas.

I have explored clinician and patient decision-making across a diversity of health studies: e.g. emergency department clinicians' perspectives on treating patients with suspected sepsis, patients and surgeons' understanding of risk in deciding whether to proceed with leg amputation, and factors influencing women's use of birth pools. My work has contributed to a better understanding of the range of factors that affect patient experiences, including information provision, sociodemographic differences, and healthcare environment, policy and culture.

I have expertise in the design, integration and application of qualitative research in health studies and clinical trials, providing methodological advice to interdisciplinary teams. I lead Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) activities in the development of research projects and bids, and am currently Co-Investigator on 4 successful grant applications totalling £4.5 million.

I am a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Women's Network and Scientific Advisory Committee, the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS) Steering Committee, and Genomics Partnership Wales (GPW) Sounding, Programme and Governance Boards. I also sit on the advisory group of several health studies, including the Obstetric Bleeding Study (OBS) UK. I review for the journals Midwifery and BMJ Open and am experienced in reviewing research proposals and grant applications (e.g. for Wellbeing of Women and Health and Care Research Wales).

Publication

2024

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2015

Articles

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Grants

2024: NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme: Randomised trial examining clinical and cost effectivness of three antithrombotic regimens following endovascular lower limb revascularisation for chronic limb threatening ischaemia: CLARITY, (Co-Applicant) £2,575,967.

2023: NIHR Research for Patient Benefit Programme - Enhancing communication with bereaved relatives about emergency and critical care trials (ENHANCE), (Co-Applicant) £243,352.

2022: NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme: Perineural local anaesthetic catheter after major lower limb amputation (PLACEMENT), (Co-Applicant) £1,635,918

2020: Health and Care Research Wales RfPPB programme - PrEdiction of Risk and Communication of outcomE followIng major lower limb amputation - a collaboratiVE study (PERCEIVE), (Co-Applicant) £229,225.

Current studies

PLACEMENT: A randomised controlled trial of perineural local anaesthetic catheter after major lower limb amputation.

CLARITY: Randomised trial examining clinical and cost effectivness of three antithrombotic regimens following endovascular lower limb revascularisation for chronic limb threatening ischaemia. 

Completed studies

PRONTO: A randomised controlled trial of Procalcitonin and NEWS2 evaluation for timely identification of sepsis and optimal use of antibiotics in emergency departments.

PERCEIVE: Prediction of risk and communication of outcome following major lower limb amputation - A collaborative study. Qualitative protocol published here.

POOL: Evaluating the safety of waterbirths. The qualitative aspect of the study aimed to identify factors influencing the use of birth pools in the UK. Part 1 of the qualitative work is published here and Part 2 is published here

SenITAA pragmatic randomised controlled trial of sensory integration therapy versus usual care for sensory processing difficulties in children with autism. Qualitative work on the support experiences of UK families of children with autism and sensory processing difficulties published here.

PriMUS: Primary care management of lower urinary tract symptoms in men. Development and validation of a diagnostic and clinical decision support tool. Qualitative work on urodynamics in primary care published here; work on management of lower urinary tract symptoms in primary care published here.

PLACEMENT Feasibility: A randomised controlled feasibility trial of perineural local anaesthetic catheter after major lower limb amputation. Qualitative work on patient experiences of analgesia after amputation published here; work on patient experiences of rehabilitation following amputation published here.

Biography

Career Overview

  • Research Associate, Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University, 2018 - present
  • Research Officer, Qualifications Wales, 2016 - 2018
  • Fast Stream Social Researcher, Office for National Statistics, 2015 - 2016
  • FOI Information & Records Manager, States of Jersey Government, 2014 - 2015
  • Research Assistant, University of Worcester, 2013 - 2014

Qualifications

  • PhD Social Policy, University of Worcester, 2016
  • PGCert Research Methods (Merit), University of Worcester, 2012
  • MSc Housing & Professional Practice, Cardiff University, 2009
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology, Swansea University, 2007

Speaking engagements

  • London Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2021, Online: What influences waterbirth rates? A case study exploration of three obstetric and three midwifery units
  • Health and Care Research Wales Conference 2020, Online: Exploring patient acceptability of invasive urodynamic testing in primary care
  • Qualitative Research Symposium 2020, Bath: Using timelines in qualitative interviews: Exploring the journey of parents of children with autism
  • Wales and South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2019, Cardiff: Why do so few women use a pool for labour and birth?
  • British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference (Emerging Researchers in Ageing) 2013, Oxford: Exploring access to direct payments by people with dementia living in rural communities
  • People, Policy and Practice Research Focus Conference 2013, Worcester: How has the personalisation of social care impacted on service users with dementia?

Poster presentations

  • Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Annual Scientific Meeting 2021, Online: Testing a prototype clinical decision support tool for the management of male lower urinary tract symptoms
  • UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2021, Online: Experiences and acceptability of sensory integration therapy for children with autism and sensory processing difficulties
  • Wales and South West Maternity & Midwifery Festival 2020, Online: What influences waterbirth rates? A case study exploration of three obstetric and three midwifery units
  • South West Society for Academic Primary Care Conference 2019, Southampton: Exploring patient acceptability of invasive urodynamic testing in primary care
  • IDEAL International Conference 2018, Bristol: Patient experiences of pain relief following major lower limb amputation in the PLACEMENT randomised study

Committees and reviewing

Board / Committee Membership

Reviewing

  • Journal reviewer: Midwifery 
  • Journal reviewer, BMJ (British Medical Journal) Open
  • Grant reviewer, Wellbeing of Women
  • Grant reviewer, Health and Care Research Wales 
  • Assessor, Longitude Prize on Dementia
  • Conference abstract reviewer, Society for Academic Primary Care

Supervisions

Current supervision

Annabel Welsh, MSc Genetic and Genomic Counselling. Exploring attitudes towards reproductive decision-making in individuals with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, a qualitative study.

Areas of supervision

  • Topics: Health decision-making, Patient information, Informed consent, Health inequalities
  • Fields: Maternity, IVF, Genetics, Public health 
  • Methods: Qualitative, Mixed methods, Systematic literature reviews

Past projects

Amarachi Ihenacho, MSc Public Health. Exploring the experiences of Black women in relation to their engagement with maternity care services in the United Kingdom (2021) (Distinction)

Engagement

I am Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) Lead for the PLACEMENT and CLARITY trials.

Specialisms

  • Qualitative research methods
  • Decision making
  • Patient information
  • Maternity
  • Health equity