Course Start: 17/10/2016
Supervisor: Dr Chris Papadopoulos
Second Supervisor: Professor Gurch Randhawa

Thesis title

A revolution in organ donation consent rates – exploring the role of GP surgeries.

Abstract

A discrepancy currently exists between the number of people awaiting transplant in the U.K. and the number of organ donors. In an attempt to combat this discrepancy, intervention is required to increase the number of people donating their organs after death. Primary care interventions have previously proved to be successful in recruitment to organ donor registries in the U.S.A and U.K. However, barriers to implementation and acceptability of organ donation interventions were expressed by General Practitioners and primary care staff in the U.K. In the present study, we will examine if primary care is a suitable place to run an intervention targeting registration on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Thanks go to both NHS Blood and Transplant and the University of Bedfordshire for generously funding this potentially ground breaking project. Thanks also go to Medici Medical Practice in Luton who are dedicating valuable time, resources and ideas by allowing us to implement the intervention in their practice.

• Thesis poster [PDF]
• NHS Blood and Transplant Website

Research Questions

• Can an intervention targeting organ donation registration be feasibly conducted in a single, diverse U.K. primary care practice?
• Can an intervention targeting organ donation registration be feasibly conducted across multiple U.K. primary care practices?

About Me

Catrin graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of York in 2009. Her research dissertation investigated the role of personality and self-esteem on body image dysmorphia. Following this she worked at the Medical Research Council – Clinical Trials Unit in London, as a data manager and monitor for international oncology drug trials.

In 2014 she commenced a part-time MSc in Health Psychology at the University of Bedfordshire. She graduated with Distinction in 2016 and her research dissertation focused on physical activity in older women, specifically examining the role of personality and motivation in the theory of planned behaviour. This research was presented at the Joint European Health Psychology Society and BPS Division of Health Psychology Conference in 2016, was nominated for the BPS MSc Thesis Award, nominated for the PsyPAG Masters Award.

During her Masters Catrin was employed as a Research Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Faye Powell and Dr. Erica Cook, working on a project examining early age feeding practices using qualitative research methods. As a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, she taught on the modules Social, Developmental Psychology and Health Psychology. Through this experience Catrin was awarded Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Additionally, Catrin was employed by Anglian Community Enterprise and Morelife to teach parents and their children about healthy lifestyle and physical activity. This was part of the family weight management programs in Essex.

Catrin is conducting Research Assistant work alongside her PhD, investigating the demographic profile of the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR). The ODR currently contains 23.5 million people and she is excited to undertake analysis on such a large dataset. Catrin is also analysing data and writing papers which explore the prevalence mental health predictors in students at the University of Bedfordshire. In January 2017, Catrin was given the role of Teaching Assistant on the module Public Health Research Methods, as part of the MSc Public Health at the University of Bedfordshire. She also teaches workshops on SPSS for postgraduate students undertaking their dissertation research.

Her PhD project combines her interests and experience of individual differences in health with on-the ground interventions. Catrin is passionate about practically improving the health of people, through health promotion, intervention development and research.

Journal Articles

• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., & Randhawa, G. (2019). Who’s opting-in? A demographic analysis of the UK NHS Organ Donor Register. PloS one, 14(1), e0209161. View here
• Jones, C.P., Lodder, A & Papadopoulos, C. (2019). Do predictors of mental health differ between home and international students studying in the U.K.? Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 11 (1)
• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., Randhawa, G., & Asghar, Z. (2018). Research protocol: general practice organ donation intervention—a feasibility study (GPOD). Pilot and feasibility studies, 4(1), 171. View here
• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., & Randhawa, G. (2017). Primary care interventions to encourage organ donation registration: A systematic review. Transplantation Reviews, 31(4), 268-275. View here

Conference Presentations

• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., Randhawa, G., & Asghar, Z. (March, 2019). A General Practice Intervention Targeting Registration on the NHS Organ Donor Register. Poster Presented at the British Transplant Society and NHS Blood and Transplant Joint Annual Congress, Harrogate, U.K.
• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., & Randhawa, G. (March, 2019). Who's opting-in? A demographic analysis of the U.K. NHS Organ Donor Register. Poster Presented at the British Transplant Society and NHS Blood and Transplant Joint Annual Congress, Harrogate, U.K.
• Jones, C. P., Papadopoulos, C., Randhawa, G., & Asghar, Z. (January, 2018). Organ Donation Intervention in Primary Care: A Feasibility Study. Oral presentation at the University of Bedfordshire, Research Graduate School Winter Conference, Luton, U.K.
• Jones, C.P., Papadopoulos, C., Randhawa, G., & Asghar, Z. (September, 2017). Can an Intervention in General Practice Increase Sign-Up Rates to the NHS Organ Donor Register? A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial. Poster Presented at the British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology Conference, Cardiff, U.K.
• Jones, C.P., Papadopoulos, C., Randhawa, G., & Asghar, Z. (February, 2017). Can an Intervention in General Practice Increase Sign-Up Rates to the NHS Organ Donor Register? A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial. Poster Presented at the University of Bedfordshire, Research Graduate School Winter Conference, Luton, U.K.
• Jones, C.P, Cook, E., & Powell, F (August, 2016). Investigating an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour to predict exercise in women aged 40+. Poster Presented at the Joint European Health Psychology Society and British Psychological Society, Division of Health Psychology Conference, Aberdeen, U.K.
• Stenning, S., Joffe, N., Batra, P., Jones, C., Montana, C. D., Tappenden, N., & Meredith, S. (2013). Update on the temper study: targeted monitoring, prospective evaluation and refinement. Trials, 14(S1), P138. View here

Other Publications

• Jones, C. P. (2019). Climbing out of the valley [Letter to the editor]. The Psychologist, 33, 2. View here
• Jones, C. P. (2019). The Valley of S**t: How to cope when you reach research rock bottom. PSYPAG Guide – Second Edition, 60-62. View here
• Jones, C. P. (2018) The NHS Ethics Process. Midlands Health Psychology Society, Guest Blog. View here
• Jones, C.P., Papadopoulos, C. and Randhawa, G. (2017). General practice organ donation intervention: a feasibility study (GPOD). ISRCTN. View here

Contact Information

Email: catrinpedder.jones@beds.ac.uk  or catrin.jones1@study.beds.ac.uk
Twitter: @Catrin_P_Jones
LinkedIn: Catrin Pedder Jones
ResearchGate: Catrin Pedder Jones