Utopia Now!

Medical research institutions invariably aim to ‘make the world a better place’ or bring ‘patient and public benefit’ through research. At present, this benefit is largely defined implicitly by academics themselves – even though ideas of what a better world is differs for different people. The Utopia Now! project has been developing participatory practices which challenge ideas of the future within the academy. We have been doing this using creative participatory practices with young people in South London to rethink what may currently seem possible or desirable for the future. We have particularly been focusing on working with people who experience various intersections of injustice and inequality, because we want to ensure that the emerging worlds made through research are those that benefit those who most need the world to change.

Find out more about Utopia Now!

Prevention and control of Cardiovascular diseases in Kenya: The Health Kiosk in Markets (HEKIMA) study

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of mortality in Kenya, and disproportionately affects the poor. Community markets are social establishments with untapped potential to promote public health and interventions. HEKIMA is a theoretically driven multi-phased feasibility study in Vihiga county that explores whether kiosks in community markets, manned by community health workers and supervised by nurses, can improve the reach of preventative care to vulnerable communities, with a positive impact on health equity.

Read our study: Strengthening primary care systems for prevention & control of cardiovascular diseases in Kenya: feasibility study of health kiosks in markets

Refugee Mental Health and Place - A cross-national study of the role of neighbourhood context in the mental health of refugees

This 3-year MRC funded project explores the role of neighbourhood in the mental health of refugees in three ways: 1) Using Danish population register data collected for all refugees arriving in Denmark over a 12-year period - during which neighbourhood assignment for this population was effectively random – creating a unique natural experiment; 2) In the UK, concentrating on one refugee group (Somalis) in Lambeth, SE London, using linked GP and psychiatric records; 3) Interviewing Somali residents in different parts of the UK to find out more about how they view their neighbourhood and how this matters for their mental health. As part of the project, we have set up a UK wide network of researchers in interested in this area and held a one-day conference this year.

Learn more about Refugee Mental Health and the Role of Place

Development and evaluation of a targeted, integrated, coherent and people-centred approach to the management of Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC-M) in South African primary healthcare – ENHANCE study

Against the background of 1) rising multiple long-term conditions – multimorbidity (MLTC-M) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as a result of unplanned urbanization and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles; as well as 2) historically fragile, vertically organized organised health systems that are ill-equipped to deal with MLTCM, this body of research addresses a critical overarching research aim: To produce evidence-based scalable solutions for care, treatment and support systems for people living with MLTC-M in LMICs so as to enhance their health and well-being. (This is an NIHR RIGHT Programme)

Adolescent Health: Strengthening the quality of adolescent primary care in South Africa: Preliminary work on a complex public health intervention (MRC/NIHR/DFID)

This grant is assessing the status of adolescent health care provided by primary health care and school health services in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, in order to identify the minimum systems strengthening components needed to augment a clinical intervention (PACK Adolescent) to support the provision of adolescent health care across two sectors: health and education.

Case study, Context and Complex interventions (TRIPLE C) – development of guidance and publication standards to support case study-based research into the influences of context on complex system-level interventions

The TRIPLE C study aims to: 1. Analyse the contribution of case study methods to our understanding of contextual influences on complex interventions in health systems and public health research. 2. Consult case study experts to develop and publish guidance on the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of case studies for use in health systems and public health research. 3: Stimulate the development of a community of practice which will collaborate on extending and improving the use of case studies in the evaluation of complex health interventions.

Social Responses to Stigma

The Social Responses to Stigma project is addressing the theoretical gap on stigma theory that can inform structural level interventions. The project aims to develop a novel system level intervention addressing the stigma experienced by people who are homeless. The project is focused in South London, in the urban environment surrounding King’s College London, a location for an ongoing and growing crisis of homelessness.

Maternal health, unequal healthcare and the accumulation of inequalities.

Maternal health is one of the starkest examples of racial inequalities in the UK. In addition to this, long-term conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are more common than average, start earlier in life and the likelihood of having two or more chronic illnesses is higher in the UK’s minoritised groups. This research investigates how discrimination, racism and racialisation have shaped women’s relationship with and experience of health, illness and healthcare – with a focus on the postnatal period. Life history interviews with British, Black African and Black Caribbean persons who have given birth recently will look back to put experiences of care and discrimination into biographical, socio-political and historical context, and look forward towards what can be done.

Read more about our research

Getting back on track towards reducing obesity in children under 5yrs as part of the pandemic recovery: a multidisciplinary hub for policy & implementation support in socio-economically & culturally diverse London

The pandemic has thrown light on the importance of resilient systems - the capacity of policy actors, implementors, institutions, and populations to prepare for and effectively respond to crises; maintain core functions during the crisis; and, informed by lessons learned during the crisis, reorganise if conditions require it. In collaboration with our local partners, we are identifying feasible policy and practice options to improve childhood nutrition and physical activity that are adaptive to everyday stresses but can also absorb major shocks including pandemics. Our study takes place in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Newham, and Camden & Islington. These are areas with varying rates of childhood obesity, deprivation, and ethnic diversity, and where our partners are under pressure to identify and implement a sustainable policy for maintaining the healthy weight of children, within severe budgetary constraints.

Exploratory mixed method study to understand ways to reduce ethnic disparities in Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) ascertainment and referral for genetic testing, and improve the clinical care pathway

About one in 250 people (0.4%) has familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) characterized by early onset cardiovascular diseases. However, despite its increased risks of early heart disease, many patients are unaware of their condition, and there are no national screening programmes in England, although GP FH registers are currently under consideration. Using intersectional and life course frameworks, we are examining the current identification of FH within and across ethnic groups, impact of proactive identifications of FH in primary care on these groups and the subsequent clinical care pathway. The emphasis is on understanding the drivers of disparities in the care pathway and how under-diagnosis of FH, uptake of care and treatments can be improved, using transdisciplinary perspectives and mixed methodologies.

An evaluation of the implementation processes and early effects of the Indian National Health Insurance scheme (PMJAY)

In 2018, India launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), a nationally implemented government-funded health insurance scheme to improve access to quality inpatient care, increase financial protection and reduce unmet need for the most vulnerable population groups, covering more than 500 million Indians. Using mixed methods, we are studying the implementation of PMJAY in seven states and its impact on the population (reach, utilization, and financial protection) and quality of care. The project is in collaboration with the Heidelberg Institute of Global, Heidelberg University, Germany, the German Development Institute (DIE) and IQVIA India.

Public Mental Health: Global and local approaches

This 1-year King's Together grant funded project will contribute to establishing a KCL Institute of Public Mental Health. Through a series of online events linked with targeted seed-funding we will encourage interdisciplinary partnerships, consolidate current collaborations, and support novel idea generation to tackle public mental health challenges, while ensuring patient and public involvement. This will build on and enhance the strategy developed through the PLUS Alliance (PLUS Alliance is a partnership across three international universities: King’s College London, University of New South Wales, Australia and Arizona State University, USA.

Learn about the PLUS Alliance

Loss of natural indigenous habitats and adolescent mental health in Latin America and Caribbean

This is a two-year fellowship with AMS/Newton Fund and uses participatory methodologies such as concept mapping and photovoice. The objectives are to conduct a systematic scoping review on loss of natural indigenous habitats and adolescent mental health; obtain perspectives on enablers and barriers to coordinated policy implementation from policy actors; and obtain adolescent narratives of lived experiences of ecological impacts on mental health.

Hairdressing salons to promote NHS online application to reduce underdiagnosis of cardiovascular risk factors among women in London’s deprived and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods: a feasibility study

NHS health checks, and annual hypertension, and diabetes reviews for eligible patients are associated with improved quality of care and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management. Equitable access to healthcare is influenced by a range of factors that determine service availability and accessibility (e.g., culturally appropriateness of services, socio-economic position of patients). These studies will examine whether hairdressers in salons in partnership with local GP practices can promote a culturally adapted online tool to encourage clients to attend their GP Practice for a health check-up to detect high blood pressure and diabetes and promote breast cancer awareness. The hairdressers will be supported by nurses/health care assistants at the local GP Practices. The study has been designed in consultation with hairdressers, including a salon owner Co-Investigator, and clients, and includes targeting salons that have clients from diverse ethnic groups.

NIHR: Hairdressing salons to promote NHS online application to reduce under-diagnosis of cardiovascular risk factors among women in London's deprived and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods: a feasibility study

Hairdressing salons to promote NHS online application (App) to reduce underdiagnosis of breast cancers among women in London’s deprived and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods: a feasibility study

Using breast cancer as an example, we will see if hairdressers, supported by nurses/healthcare assistants at local GP Practices, can promote an adapted free NHS online application (https://www.dr-iq.com/) supplemented by symptom checker cards to increase breast checks (all ages) and screening uptake in women (50-70 years) in deprived and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods of Southeast and West London. In Phase 1 (Intervention development), hairdressers and clients will co-develop the online tool to suit their needs. In Phase 2 (Feasibility), we will see whether hairdressers can promote the NHS online app use by clients, and barriers and facilitators to recruitment and use. We will publicise the results through community online forums, and jointly produced audio-visual and written materials. If successful, these data will be used to design a larger study to examine if the tool increases breast screening awareness and uptake.

Dr IQ App