The network is concerned with studying the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of how health services are provided, as well as the equity implications. The backdrop to this work in affluent countries such as Scotland is an environment where demands on services are intensifying, and at the same time, there is only modest growth in financing, and so there is real pressure to identify ways to work better and smarter. At the same time, as less prosperous countries move through the development cycle, they seek to upgrade their health systems – but in the face of severely limited budgets. We take the view that health services are produced by complex socio-technical systems with multiple and sometimes conflicting goals. To study such systems requires drawing on qualitative and quantitative methods from different traditions.
Further, understanding the effect of changes to health services requires understanding the underpinning medical technology but also the human aspects of health services. Our research and knowledge exchange at Strathclyde spans the University, enabling us to bring this broad perspective to bear on understanding health systems in a rigorous yet strategic way.
The network also focuses on developing the technologies required for modern-day rehabilitation services, the techniques used in these services, and the scientific data and other indicators on which evidence-based rehabilitation can be based. We represent a multidisciplinary grouping, including biomedical engineering, prosthetics, orthotics, speech and language therapy, psychology, maths, statistics, computing, education and relevant science and engineering. We have a 50 year reputation for internationally leading rehabilitation research and house the Scottish Government Funded Centre of Excellence in Rehabilitation Research.
Across the network we have highly experienced rehabilitation researchers, approximately 50 students on research degrees, a thriving community of post-doctoral researchers and world class facilities in biomechanics, neuro-rehabilitation, psychology and motor control.
We also have extensive links with industry, the UK NHS and health care services across the world.