Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell
Senior Research Fellow - Qualitative
Overview
I am a Senior Research Fellow (Qualitative) and Head of Qualitative Research for The Centre for Trials Research, College of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Cardiff University.
I began my research career at the Centre for Language and Communication Research training in interactional sociolinguistics. My doctoral research explored diagnostic uncertainty in genetics and society. Following this I developed international networks with discourse researchers and assisted in the launch of the Annual International Conferences on Communication, Medicine & Ethics and acted as Editorial Associate for the journal Communication & Medicine.
I moved to the South East Wales Trials Unit when it was first established in 2006, now Centre for Trials Research. I initially focused on the use of qualitative methods in infections. I then began to broaden my research portfolio to include the use of qualitative methods with vulnerable population groups, and children/young people and parenting, and using qualitative methods with trials.
I am a co-applicant on studies funded by NIHR (RAPID, SenITA, BATCH), ESRC (DM IN GENETICS), HCRW Research for Patient and Public Benefit (PLACEMENT, TRIDENT), and Charity Action for Children (MIST). I supervise students at Doctoral and Masters level, and am a Fellowship Advisor.
My research interests include:
- Health communication
- Patient voices
- Children, young people and parenting
- Infections
- Using qualitative methods with vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
- Qualitative methods and trials
- Large-scale, multi-country qualitative research design
Biography
Qualifications
- 2002 PhD Communication, Cardiff University
- 1998 PgradDip (Distinction) Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University
- 1996 BA(Hons) (First class) Language and Communication, Cardiff University
Academic positions
- 2006-current Research Fellow (Qualitative), Centre for Trials Research, Cardiff University
- 2004-2006 Research Coordinator, Health Communication Research Centre, Cardiff University
- 2000-2004 Research Associate, Health Communication Research Centre Cardiff University
- 1998-2000 Research Assistant, Centre for Language and Communication Research, Cardiff University
Publications
2022
- Llewelyn, M. J. et al. 2022. Impact of introducing procalcitonin testing on antibiotic usage in acute NHS hospitals during the first wave of COVID-19 in the UK: a controlled interrupted time series analysis of organization-level data. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 77(4), pp. 1189-1196. (10.1093/jac/dkac017)
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2022. Understanding the support experiences of families of children with autism and sensory processing difficulties: A qualitative study.. Health Expectations (10.1111/hex.13465)
- Waldron, C. et al. 2022. Biomarker-guided duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Children Hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection (BATCH): protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 12(1), article number: e047490. (10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047490)
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2022. PrEdiction of Risk and Communication of outcomE followIng major lower limb amputation: a collaboratiVE study (PERCEIVE)—protocol for the PERCEIVE qualitative study. BMJ Open 12(1), article number: e053159. (10.1136/bmjopen-2021-053159)
2021
- Simon, N. et al. 2021. Internet-based psychological therapies: a qualitative study of National Health Service commissioners and managers views. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice 94(4), pp. 994-1014. (10.1111/papt.12341)
- Milosevic, S. et al. 2021. Exploring patients’ experiences of analgesia after major lower limb amputation: A qualitative study. BMJ Open 11, article number: e054618. (10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054618)
- Gwilym, B. L. et al. 2021. The PERCEIVE quantitative study: PrEdiction of Risk and Communication of outcome following major lower-limb amputation: protocol for a collaboratiVE study. BJS Open 5(6), article number: zrab118. (10.1093/bjsopen/zrab118)
- Lugg-Widger, F. et al. 2021. Establishing the impact of COVID-19 on the health outcomes of domiciliary care workers in Wales using routine data: a protocol for the OSCAR study. International Journal of Population Data Science 5(4), article number: 8. (10.23889/ijpds.v5i4.1656)
- Powell, N. et al. 2021. Use of procalcitonin during the first wave of COVID-19 in the acute NHS hospitals: a retrospective observational study. Antibiotics 10(5), article number: 516. (10.3390/antibiotics10050516)
- Gwilym, B. et al. 2021. PERCEIVE: PrEdiction of Risk and Communication of outcome following major lower limb amputation - a collaboratIVE study. Presented at: National Research Collaborative Meeting 2020 (NRCM 2020), Virtual, 19 November - 10 December 2020, Vol. 5. Vol. Supple. Wiley, (10.1093/bjsopen/zrab032.089)
- Moody, G. et al. 2021. What are the challenges when recruiting to a trial in children’s social care? A qualitative evaluation of a trial of foster carer training. Trials 22, article number: 241. (10.1186/s13063-021-05186-9)
2020
- Channon, S. et al. 2020. Qualitative process evaluation of the Fostering Changes program for foster carers as part of the Confidence in Care randomized controlled trial. Child Abuse and Neglect 109, article number: 104768. (10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104768)
- Ambler, G. K. et al. 2020. Development of core outcome sets for people undergoing major lower limb amputation for complications of peripheral vascular disease. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery 60(5), pp. 730-738. (10.1016/j.ejvs.2020.06.021)
- Moody, G. et al. 2020. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of the fostering changes programme. Child Abuse and Neglect 108, article number: 104646. (10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104646)
- Yhnell, E. et al. 2020. A randomised feasibility study of computerised cognitive training as a therapeutic intervention for people with Huntington's disease (CogTrainHD). Pilot and Feasibility Studies 6, article number: 88. (10.1186/s40814-020-00623-z)
2019
- Bosanquet, D. et al. 2019. Perineural local anaesthetic catheter after major lower limb amputation trial (PLACEMENT): results from a randomised controlled feasibility trial. BMJ Open 9(11), article number: e029233. (10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029233)
- Brookes-Howell, L. et al. 2019. Challenges in managing urinary tract infection and the potential of a point-of-care test guided care in primary care: an international qualitative study. BJGP Open 3(2), article number: 18X101630. (10.3399/bjgpopen18X101630)
- Randell, E. et al. 2019. Sensory integration therapy versus usual care for sensory processing difficulties in autism spectrum disorder in children: study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.. Trials 20, article number: 113. (10.1186/s13063-019-3205-y)
2018
- Bosanquet, D. C. et al. 2018. Major lower limb amputation audit – introduction and implementation of a multimodal perioperative pain management guideline. British Journal of Pain 12(4), pp. 257-258. (10.1177/2049463718800736)
- Nollett, C. et al. 2018. Pragmatic RAndomised controlled trial of a trauma-focused guided self-help Programme versus InDividual trauma-focused cognitive Behavioural therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (RAPID): trial protocol. BMC Psychiatry 18(1), article number: 77. (10.1186/s12888-018-1665-3)
- Yhnell, E. et al. 2018. Exploring computerised cognitive training as a therapeutic intervention for people with Huntington's disease (CogTrainHD): protocol for a randomised feasibility study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 4, article number: 45. (10.1186/s40814-018-0237-0)
- Moody, G. et al. 2018. Evaluating the long-term impact of the Fostering Changes training programme for foster carers in Wales, the Confidence in Care trial: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 19, article number: 34. (10.1186/s13063-017-2424-3)
2017
- Ambler, G. K., Bosanquet, D. C., Brookes-Howell, L., Thomas-Jones, R. E., Waldron, C., Edwards, A. G. K. and Twine, C. P. 2017. Development of a core outcome set for studies involving patients undergoing major lower limb amputation for peripheral arterial disease: study protocol for a systematic review and identification of a core outcome set using a Delphi survey. Trials 18(1), article number: 628. (10.1186/s13063-017-2358-9)
- Bosanquet, D. C. et al. 2017. Perineural local anaesthetic catheter after major lower limb amputation trial (PLACEMENT): study protocol for a randomised controlled pilot study. Trials 18, article number: 629. (10.1186/s13063-017-2357-x)
- Gillespie, D. et al. 2017. Determinants of initiation, implementation, and discontinuation of amoxicillin by adults with acute cough in primary care. Patient Preference and Adherence 2017(11), pp. 561-569. (10.2147/PPA.S119256)
2015
- Anthierens, S. et al. 2015. Clinicians' views and experiences of interventions to enhance the quality of antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections. Journal of General Internal Medicine 30(4), pp. 408-416. (10.1007/s11606-014-3076-6)
2014
- Davies, F. et al. 2014. Primary and secondary care clinicians' views on self-treatment of COPD exacerbations: a multinational qualitative study. Patient Education and Counseling 96(2), pp. 256-263. (10.1016/j.pec.2014.05.011)
- Rooshenas, L., Wood, F., Brookes-Howell, L., Evans, M. and Butler, C. 2014. The influence of children's day care on antibiotic seeking: a mixed methods study. British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) 64(622), pp. e302-e312. (10.3399/bjgp14X679741)
2013
- Wood, F. C. et al. 2013. Primary care clinicians' perceptions of antibiotic resistance: a multi-country qualitative interview study. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 68(1), pp. 237-243. (10.1093/jac/dks338)
2012
- Brookes-Howell, L. et al. 2012. 'The body gets used to them': patients' interpretations of antibiotic resistance and the implications for containment strategies. Journal of General Internal Medicine 27(7), pp. 766-772. (10.1007/s11606-011-1916-1)
- Brookes-Howell, L. et al. 2012. Clinical influences on antibiotic prescribing decisions for lower respiratory tract infection: a nine country qualitative study of variation in care. BMJ Open 2(3), article number: e000795. (10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000795)
- Brookes-Howell, L. et al. 2012. Understanding variation in primary medical care: a nine-country qualitative study of clinicians' accounts of the non-clinical factors that shape antibiotic prescribing decisions for lower respiratory tract infection. BMJ Open 2(4), article number: e000796. (10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000796)
2011
- Wood, F. C. et al. 2011. A multi-country qualitative study of clinicians' and patients' views on point of care tests for lower respiratory tract infection. Family Practice 28(6), pp. 661-669. (10.1093/fampra/cmr031)
- Sarangi, S., Brookes-Howell, L., Bennert, K. and Clarke, A. J. 2011. Psychological and sociomoral frames in genetic counseling for predictive testing. In: Sarangi, S. K., Candlin, C. and Knapp, K. eds. Handbook of Communication in Organisations and Professions. Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Vol. 3. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, pp. 235-257.
2010
- Francis, N. A., Crocker, J. C., Gamper, A., Brookes-Howell, L., Powell, C. V. E. and Butler, C. C. 2010. Missed opportunities for earlier treatment? A qualitative interview study with parents of children admitted to hospital with serious respiratory tract infections. Archives of Disease in Childhood 96(2), pp. 154-159. (10.1136/adc.2010.188680)
2006
- Sarangi, S. K. and Brookes-Howell, L. 2006. Recontextualising the familial lifeworld in genetic counselling case notes. In: Gotti, M. and Salager-Meyer, F. eds. Advances in Medical Discourse Analysis: Oral and Written Contexts. Linguistic Insights. Studies in Language and Communication Vol. 45. Bern: Peter Lang, pp. 197-228.
- Brookes-Howell, L. 2006. Living without labels: The interactional management of diagnostic uncertainty in the genetic counselling clinic. Social Science & Medicine 63(12), pp. 3080-3091. (10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.08.008)
2005
- Brain, K. E. et al. 2005. An exploratory comparison of genetic counselling protocols for HNPCC predictive testing. Clinical Genetics 68(3), pp. 255-261. (10.1111/j.1399-0004.2005.00491.x)
2004
- Sarangi, S. K., Bennert, K., Howell, L., Clarke, A. J., Harper, P. S. and Gray, J. 2004. Initiation of reflective frames in counselling for Huntington's Disease predictive testing. Journal of Genetic Counselling 13(2), pp. 135-155. (10.1023/B:JOGC.0000018823.60761.e0)
2003
- Sarangi, S. K., Bennert, K., Howell, L. and Clarke, A. J. 2003. 'Relatively Speaking' : relativisation of genetic risk in counselling for predictive testing. Health, Risk & Society 5(2), pp. 155-170. (10.1080/1369857031000123939)
- Clarke, A. J., Sarangi, S. K., Bennert, K. and Howell, L. 2003. Categorisation practices across professional boundaries: some analytic insights from genetic counselling. Presented at: Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, Cardiff, UK, September 2002 Presented at Sarangi, S. K. and Leeuwen, T. eds.Applied Linguistics and Communities of Practice: selected papers from the Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, Cardiff University, September 2002. British Studies in Applied Linguistics London: Continuum pp. 150-168.
2001
- Sarangi, S. K., Howell, L., Bennert, K., Clarke, A. J., Harper, P. S. and Gray, J. 2001. The negotiation of therapeutic frames in counselling for predictive genetic testing. Journal of Medical Genetics 38(Sup.1), pp. S23.
Current Grants
- Title: Framing the trajectories of decision-making in the context of predictive and prenatal genetic and genomic tests. Funder: Economic and Social Research Council. £ 815691.74. Chief Investigator: Prof Angus Clarke. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Title: TRIal designs for DElivery of Novel Therapies for Neurodegeneration (TRIDENT). Funder: Health & Care Research Wales, Research for Patient and Public Benefit Wales (RfPPB). £223,132.00. Chief Investigator: Prof Ann Rosser. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Title: Biomarker-guided duration of Antibiotic Treatment in Children Hospitalised with confirmed or suspected bacterial infection (The BATCH Trial). Funder: NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme £1.4 million. Chief Investigator: Prof Enitan Carrol. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Title: Perineural Local Anaesthetic Catheter aftEr Major lowEr limb amputatioN Trial (PLACEMENT). Funder: Health & Care Research Wales, Research for Patient and Public Benefit Wales (RfPPB). £210, 552. Chief Investigator: Dr Chris Twine. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy BrookesHowell et al.
- Title: A pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial of Sensory Integration Therapy versus usual care for sensory processing difficulties in Autism Spectrum Disorder in children: impact on behavioural difficulties, adaptive skills and socialisation (SenITA). Funder: NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme. £1,185,180. Chief Investigator: Dr Rachel McNamara. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Title: Pragmatic RAndomised controlled trial of a trauma-focused guided self help Programme versus InDividual Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for post traumatic stress disorder (RAPIDTFCBT). Funder: NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme. £1,135,332.88. Chief Investigator: Prof Jon Bisson. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Realist evaluation of the multi-disciplinary intervention service Torfaen (MIST). Funder: Action for Children. £30,292. Chief Investigator: Sue Channon. Co-applicants: Dr Lucy Brookes-Howell et al.
- Centre for Trials Research, 2018-2020, Health and Care Research Wales, £1,733,333.