The Beginning - Title Flux

Title Flux

My initial proposal was to focus on ideas within smart cities literature that could help inform positive change in the NHS.  I liked the idea of smart cities texts as this area is very much forward looking, solution focussed rather than being restricted by the limitations of current structures.  This perspective in my opinion opens up the inspiration that might be needed to achieve level of radical change that is needed.  

After starting however, I found out that this was too broad and I would need to narrow down.  Talking to others who are, or have been on this journey, I understand that this is very common advice.  So I started to look for ways of narrowing my idea down to something specific enough for a PhD, whilst also remaining in line with my interests and motivation.  

Being a little cynical I had decided that the most effective ways of influencing positive change in the NHS was to focus on the money.  To look at efficiency and cost savings.  My original proposal had also included social impact assessment.  This last area started to dissolve as I started to focus more precisely.  

My ideas changed a few times, with different variations on titles and questions.  Apparently this is very normal at the beginning of a PhD Journey, and not uncommon in the middle.  

My current focus is to investigate the potential for patient empowerment with information technology to create cost savings and efficiencies in the journey of people with colorectal cancer in Sheffield.  This is not the type of cancer that I have or have had (the doctors are not entirely sure on this) but apparently this type generally responds better to lifestyle interventions than Lymphoma (which is the type I have had), even though I believe that lifestyle has been a key part of my own recovery.  

My plan is to focus on the colorectal pathway of a wider survivorship project taking place in the city and to use agent based modelling to help investigate what a more effective and efficient health system should look like.  I also plan to conduct an action research project or some appreciative enquiry consultations to help inform the model.  The real impact of the current survivorship project will also inform the model.  Smart Cities will remain a form of literature and will help inform the model, as will behaviour change and behavioural economics.  Systems thinking is another idea that I plan to bring into the design of the model as I believe that this type of service integration could create efficiencies and save money.  These will all combine to help create a model that will be informed by theory as well as changes that appear to be working/or have worked in practice. 

This may all still be too much or too broad so it may refine or evolve again sometime.