Developing an NIHR Health and Social care Delivery Research (HSDR) national evaluation team. The InterDisciplinary Evaluation of complex innovations in heAlth and Social care (IDEAS) Team.

Our Team. The InterDisciplinary Evaluation of complex innovations in heAlth and Social care (IDEAS) Team will evaluate complex innovations in health and care services, organisation and delivery. IDEAS, based at Northumbria University, comprises academic staff and collaborators who make up the executive team, methodology groups, and dedicated research staff.

It is supported by two external groups: a National Advisory Group (NAG) and a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) group. Together we have extensive experience of leading and contributing to national evaluations, drawing on our diverse range of methodological and topic expertise. With an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by health and care services in practice, we are deeply embedded in existing regional and national health and care research infrastructures.

This includes regional and national UK policy makers, health and care systems in the regional and devolved nations and links to services, participants, and other stakeholders in those nations, access to regional and national routine health service data, and research support and delivery infrastructure.

Our Approach. We will adopt a bespoke approach using co-design for each evaluation, ensuring shared understanding with all stakeholders. Our approach will be underpinned by the Medical Research Council’s updated framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions, utilising an interdisciplinary approach.

We have a demonstrable track record in working co-productively with stakeholders in our evaluations, including working with frontline health and care staff. This gives us a realistic understanding of contemporary health and care services and systems. We are therefore able to undertake evaluations that meet the needs of the customer, with a focus on designing and utilising pragmatic, evidence-based methods, which can be delivered in a timely fashion, with outcomes produced in a format that are specific to each customer.

Together we will ensure that we deliver robust, theory-informed evaluations in line with best practices for PPIE and Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). We have assumed a responsive mode whereby evaluations will be identified by NIHR. The executive team, together with our support structure (NAG, and PPIE groups) will co-produce an initial expression of interest which, if successful, will be further developed through a rapid study co-design group assembled on a per-project basis and comprising all relevant stakeholders.?

Our Impact. Using innovative techniques, the IDEAS Team has a wealth of expertise in mobilising findings to inform practise and policy decision-making. We have a proven track record of success in translational research and implementation science, with extensive networks including research infrastructures, health and care organisations, local government and communities across the UK.

A knowledge mobilisation and implementation strategy will be designed for each evaluation at outset, with input from the NAG and PPIE groups.? Our strategy involves dissemination, (including: active engagement, tailored strategies, and innovative communication) our outputs, (including: peer reviewed publications, comprehensive research design, high quality evaluation, and innovative knowledge mobilisation), and our impact (including policy and practice impact, health and care improvements, knowledge mobilisation culture, and continued collaboration).