Published: April 14, 2022
Written by: Sharon Mcdonald
About the Project
Overview: This PhD research project will be instrumental in creating a patient information portal that provides an alternative route of access to General Practice in the city of Sunderland.
Taking a user-centred design perspective and using techniques from methods such as Design Thinking, the researcher will engage with a variety of stakeholders including patients, GP practices, and service providers to develop a web-based portal that will promote patient self-care, providing information on conditions (as defined by the clinical lead) and guided access to a range of services and online consultations.
The research focus will examine the impact of portal design features on patients’ subsequent decision making and behaviour. This will be achieved through iterative usability and user experience testing and the integration of insights from behavioural models and web analytics.
Sponsor: Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group/University of Sunderland
Name of supervisor(s):
Professor Sharon McDonald (University of Sunderland)
Dr Raj Bethapudi (Sunderland CCG)
Eligibility Criteria: The candidate should have at least first class or upper second-class honours degree in Computer Science/Web development, with demonstrable web and mobile development skills. The patient information portal must be developed from a user-centred perspective. Therefore, the candidate should have a passion for user-centred design and be able to complement their software development skills with a strong focus on gathering and integrating the findings of user research into the software development process.
How to apply:
Applicants should send a copy of their CV and covering letter to [pip-project@sunderland.ac.uk]
Start date and duration:
May 1, 2022, 3 years full-time
Funding Notes
The funding covers tuition fees and the bursary fee is in line with the UKRI maintenance fee rates which for 21/22 is £15,609. Funding is available for 3 years.