Research With Health Professionals & Stakeholders

Royal College of Nursing (2006)

Ipsos MORI was commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing on behalf of the NHS staff side organisations to conduct four discussion groups amongst union members to explore their views on Agenda for Change. Agenda for Change is the new structure for pay, terms and conditions for all NHS employees with the exception of doctors and dentists and very senior managers who have separate arrangements.

Although there is general support for Agenda for Change, its implementation is perceived by many of the participants to have created a great deal of uncertainty and to have contributed to the lowering of staff morale.

There is also the view that healthcare reform is being approached from a short-term perspective and that major changes are rarely permitted enough time to take effect before another set of circumstances requires further change.

Royal College of Physicians (2006)

As part of their wider perceptions audit Ipsos MORI carried out a piece of qualitative research for the Royal College of Physicians between September and November 2006. This entailed a range of in-depth interviews with RCP stakeholders, members and non-members as well as two discussion groups and additional in-depth interviews with members and fellows of the RCP.

The findings are to support the corporate direction of the college, explore the needs of Fellows and Members, promote the RCP's agenda and profile among opinion formers as well as to maximise value for money and effectiveness from the RCPs communications. The RCP will also use the results to market Collegiate membership more proactively to potential members.

American Heart Association Conference

Orlando, Florida, MORI conducted research among various health professionals in eight countries on their views about stroke, ischaemic heart disease and peripheral arterial disease. Specifically, we interviewed cardiologists, neurologists, consultants for the elderly, vascular specialists, GPs, internists and other primary care physicians. The main objective was to determine whether or not health professionals felt that these three medical conditions were all manifestations of the same, underlying problem.

Public Opinion of Doctors (1983-2006 ongoing)

This twenty year programme of research for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) (and previously for the BMA, The Times and Cancer Research UK) has been conducted among a nationally representative sample of around 2,000 British adults aged 15+. It measures trust in doctors compared with other professional groups and types of people, and has found continued high levels of trust in doctors, despite the Shipman affair, the Bristol Surgeon enquiry, the Alder Hey Paediatric organs cases, and other events.

The Role of Scientists in Public Debate, for The Wellcome Trust

Conducted among over 1,600 scientists across 41 universities and in Research Council-funded institutes the research examined how scientists themselves perceive increasing calls for them to become more involved in communicating their research to the public, and to increase dialogue on the social and ethical implications of this research. The findings revealed that scientists do feel they have a duty to communicate, but not all feel equipped to do so. Even fewer felt capable of explaining the social and ethical implications of their research, perhaps because many have never received any relevant training to communicate.