Student nurses as a future general practice nursing workforce. Implementing collaborative learning in practice: implications for placement learning and patient access. A mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: There is a global shortage of nurses, with particularly acute shortfall in General Practice Nursing in the United Kingdom estimated at as high as 50% vacancy rate by 2031 by some sources. There has previously been reluctance for General Practices to host student nurses on placement, but it has become imperative to increase placement capacity if practices are to be able to recruit a future workforce. Collaborative Learning in Practice is a means of organising placement learning for student nurses using a coaching model, that allows for leadership development, peer support and earlier engagement in patient care, and increases placement capacity. METHODS: This was a mixed methods study using qualitative data from focus groups to evaluate the implementation of Collaborative Learning in Practice, and routinely collected audit data on numbers of clinic appointments to investigate the potential impact an increased capacity of student nurses might have on patient access to services. The aims of this study were: to implement and evaluate Collaborative Learning in Practice in General Practice Nursing settings; to explore issues of interprofessional learning; to explore patient access to services related to increased student nurse capacity. RESULTS: Our qualitative data indicated the following themes as important to students and staff: Peer Support; Interprofessional Learning; and the Importance of 'own clinics' for students to see patients. The audit data indicated that having students leading their own clinics increased the clinic numbers available by approximately 20% compared to when students were not in placement. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that student nurses increased clinic capacity and improved access for patients. Students valued their placement, felt that they were more 'part of the team' than in other placements and consequently had a greater sense of belonging. This was multifaceted, coming in part from the welcoming practice staff, in part from the opportunities for peer support engendered by the collaborative learning in practice model, and in part from the interprofessional learning opportunities available. General Practice Nursing placements for students are important for future workforce recruitment and can help meet Quality and Outcomes Framework targets for General Practices.

mHealth resources for asthma and pregnancy care: Methodological issues and social media recruitment. A discussion paper.

AIMS: A discussion of methodological issues and social media recruitment to a feasibility study to investigate mHealth resources for asthma and pregnancy care. BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with asthma are reported to be poorly supported according to an international research. We sought to establish if a mHealth intervention might be feasible and acceptable to them. DESIGN: A Phase I or modelling study. METHODS: A project team designed an intervention to address UK national guidelines for the management of asthma during pregnancy, using other resources already accessible on the web. This was made available on a project website optimized for mobile phone usage. Links were Tweeted and advertised on Facebook, asking participants to access the project website, which included links to the resources and before- and after-use questionnaires to establish baseline symptom data and participant views of the resources. RESULTS: Despite 55,700 Twitter impressions in a 76-day period over winter 2016-2017, this recruitment strategy garnered 402 engagements but only seven respondents for questionnaire 1 and zero respondents for questionnaire 2. CONCLUSIONS: We could not recruit to this study despite believing that social media recruitment would be effective and we recommend that social media recruitment be used cautiously. Apparently, we did not sufficiently address the theoretical aspects of communications theory and were not clear enough about our key messages. Publication bias may exist about the non-publication of other failed telemedicine studies using social media; this goes largely unreported in some systematic reviews and may influence researchers' decision-making about social media recruitment.

Women's experiences of personalised support for asthma care during pregnancy: A systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Asthma and pregnancy are both sources of anxiety for women. Although there has been a focus on physiological management of asthma and pregnancy, there has been little research on the impact that personalised support can have on asthma care during pregnancy. This systematic review and narrative synthesis of the literature set out to answer the question 'What are women's experiences of asthma care, its management and education, during pregnancy?' METHODS: This systematic review was carried out using accepted methodology from the York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. Electronic database searches were conducted using PsycInfo, CINAHL, MedLine, Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library, using the combination search terms: 'Asthma' AND 'Pregnancy' AND 'Care' AND ('Education OR Information OR Experience'). Hand searching of journals and searches for grey literature were also undertaken. Independent quality appraisal by the three authors took place using the criteria detailed by Kmet et al. (Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields, 2004). RESULTS: All papers scoring in excess of 60% were deemed to be of adequate quality for inclusion, of which there were five: two qualitative designs and three quantitative designs. The designs were too methodologically heterogeneous to permit statistical meta-analysis so narrative review and synthesis was undertaken. Despite an embryonic evidence bases, it is reasonable to conclude that personalised care has beneficial outcomes for pregnant asthmatic women. CONCLUSIONS: Larger randomised controlled trials investigating personalised care are required to build an evidence base which can establish the efficacy of such interventions.

A stronger voice.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to discuss learning about service-user and carer involvement from an action research (AR) study into self-directed support implementation in one English mental health trust. The paper promotes appointing and supporting carers and people with experience as co-researchers to obtain authentic local perspectives when undertaking service implementation or redesign. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The researchers used an AR spiral method incorporating carers and people with mental health experience as co-researchers. The co-researchers worked alongside the lead researcher gathering data from focus groups, training sessions and other meetings over four years and attending collaborative steering group meetings alongside professional workers throughout the study. FINDINGS: The authors suggest that participation gave co-researchers a powerful and effective voice in this service redesign. This approach revealed more authentic research data and required professionals to be more accountable for their perceptions and to make explicit their understandings throughout the study, which enabled more effective working. Steering group participation was central to securing this participation. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper illustrates how carer and service-user co-researchers can be supported to benefit both mental health organisations undergoing change and to co-researchers themselves. It also identifies AR's utility in uncovering learning as well as structuring change.

Collaborative learning about e-health for mental health professionals and service users in a structured anonymous online short course: pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Professionals are interested in using e-health but implementation of new methods is slow. Barriers to implementation include the need for training and limited awareness or experience. Research may not always convince mental health professionals (MHPs). Adding the 'voice' of mental health service users (MHSUs) in collaborative learning may help. Involving MHSUs in face-face education can be difficult. We had previously been unable to engage MHPs in online discussion with MHSUs. Here we assessed the feasibility of short online courses involving MHSUs and MHPs. METHODS: We ran three e-health courses, comprising live interactive webcast, week's access to a discussion forum, and final live interactive webcast. We recruited MHPs via posters, newsletters, and telephone from a local NHS trust, and online via mailing lists and personal contacts from NHS trusts and higher education. We recruited MHSUs via a previous project and an independent user involvement service. Participants were presented with research evidence about e-health and asked to discuss topics using professional and lived experience. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and attrition, participation, and researcher workloads. Outcomes of self-esteem and general self-efficacy (MHSUs), and Internet self-efficacy and confidence (MHPs) were piloted. RESULTS: Online recruiting was effective. We lost 15/41 from registration to follow-up but only 5/31 that participated in the course failed to complete follow-up. Nineteen MHPs and 12 MHSUs took part and engaged with each other in online discussion. Feedback was positive; three-quarters of MHPs indicated future plans to use the Internet for practice, and 80% of MHSUs felt the course should be continued. Running three courses for 31 participants took between 200 to 250 hours. Before and after outcome measures were completed by 26/31 that participated. MHP Internet self-efficacy and general Internet confidence, MHSU self-esteem and general self-efficacy, all seemed reliable and seemed to show some increase. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative learning between MHSUs and MHPs in a structured online anonymous environment over a one-week course is feasible, may be more practical and less costly than face-face methods, and is worthy of further study.

Phase 1 pilot study of e-mail support for people with long term conditions using the Internet.

BACKGROUND: Use of the Internet for people with Long Term Conditions (LTCs) can have a positive effect on knowledge, social support, behavioural and clinical outcomes, yet there is concern that a 'digital divide' prevents some patients from benefitting. While some patients do not have access to the Internet, others that do may still lack expertise or the confidence to make full use of it. The aim of this pilot study was to develop an intervention and test methods for a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) of anonymous personal online email support for patients in this latter group. METHODS: Recruitment success was evaluated by the number and appropriateness of participants recruited. A personalised e-health support intervention was developed. The provisional primary outcome was the extent to which the Internet affected the participants' confidence in dealing with their LTC. Primary outcome, seven process measures and two secondary outcomes measures were evaluated for completeness of data and sensitivity to detect changes. RESULTS: Thirty nine participants were recruited, 29 after personally receiving a leaflet, seven via email advertising, and three via leaflets left in waiting areas. Most participants (61%) were aged over 60. The majority (21/38) rated themselves as experienced Internet users although only 5/38 had used discussion forums for their LTC. Piloting the intervention identified support needed as: (i) technical help with some websites, (ii) advice about issues such as anonymity, (iii) help in judging information quality, (iv) identification of relevant information (via 'Information Prescriptions'), (v) motivational support to try new sites. Attrition was fairly high: 20/39 completed follow up questionnaires. Three process measures showed ceiling effects and two had too many missing values to be useable. CONCLUSION: E-health support is a promising way of addressing the problems faced by older generation e-health seekers. Face-to-face leaflet distribution recruited sufficient numbers but additional locations other than hospital should be tried to recruit Internet novices with LTCs. An RCT is feasible and necessary to evaluate the potential benefits of anonymous email support. Our methods could be used by other researchers studying Internet use by people with LTCs.

Improving student support using Placement Development Teams: staff and student perceptions.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore the experience of student support prior to the implementation of a new structure for supporting students and mentors in practice placements (Placement Development Teams) for health care professionals. This study reports findings relating to acute sector adult nursing students and staff. BACKGROUND: Clinical practice is essential in pre-registration health care professional education programmes. The English Model National Partnership Agreement for health care education gives a new impetus to Strategic Health Authorities, Higher Education Institutions and National Health Service Trusts to evaluate and redesign their strategies for student support. DESIGN: This study was phase one of a large longitudinal qualitative evaluation of Placement Development Teams' introduction. The design for this phase was cross-sectional. METHODS: Data were collected using telephone interviews with key educational stakeholders in trusts and Strategic Health Authorities and focus groups with third-year adult nursing students working in six acute sector trusts. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the nursing students' focus group data. These were (1) Supportive and unsupportive behaviour of staff. (2) Mentor allocation. (3) Placement allocation. (4) Benefits of students to the placement area. (5) Perceived control over the learning experience. Four themes emerged from data analysis of the staff telephone interview data. These were (1) Vision of support services. (2) Proactive versus reactive support. (3) Barriers to achieving proactive support. (4) Bridging the gap between education and the trusts. CONCLUSION: Supporting students in practice is multifaceted and interpersonal and structural factors are important. This study illustrates how student support activity can be redesigned to meet the needs of the Model National Partnership Agreement. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Good mentoring is particularly important for student support. Where there are high student numbers in placement, this can adversely affect students' placement learning.

Placement Development Teams and interprofessional education with healthcare students.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the impact of a new structure for supporting students and mentors in practice placements (Placement Development Teams) in fostering interprofessional education from the perspective of non-medical health care students and staff. BACKGROUND: Interprofessional education is an important international issue which received significant impetus in the UK as a result of many high-profile cases where uni-professional boundaries and cultures have contributed to adverse patient and client outcomes. DESIGN: This study was part of a longitudinal qualitative evaluation of Placement Development Teams. The design for this stage was cross-sectional. METHODS: Data were collected using telephone interviews with key educational stakeholders in trusts and Strategic Health Authorities and focus groups with third-year non-medical health care students working in the south-west peninsula of England. RESULTS: Students' focus group data indicated that interprofessional support and learning was key. Students had mixed views on how much they valued support gained from staff and students from other professions. Staff data indicated that they facilitated communication. Staff discussed their practical activities which made a difference and helped change the organisational culture in favour of interprofessional education. CONCLUSION: If interprofessional education in clinical practice is to be effective, it needs local facilitation and structures that support it. Placement Development Teams can provide this. The 'best' means of 'doing interprofessional education' in clinical practice and its impact on patient outcomes requires further large-scale research work with rigorous methodologies at a national level. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To embed interprofessional education in practice-based professions' curricula and clinical placements requires active, supportive structures and local facilitation. Structures such as Placement Development Teams can help to achieve this where organisational cultures are influenced by committed staff. Students require persuasion concerning the benefits of interprofessional education.

Lone voices have an emotional content: focussing on mental health service user and carer involvement.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe learning gained from involving service users and carers as researchers in an action research study. The researchers aimed to introduce self-directed support in mental health services--part of the government's personalisation agenda, which requires a move from current social care commissioning, where a person is matched to available services, to one where a person self-assesses, has an agreed support plan and then with appropriate help, purchases his or her own services to lead as independent a life as possible. This development is allied closely with the mental health service recovery approach. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Three service users and two carers were recruited to work alongside the lead researcher. Service users were fully involved in the steering group - part of participatory action research project. Data were collected from: debriefing meetings with co-researchers between April and December 2007; a group interview held by the lead researcher; and participants' journal comments and self-reflections. FINDINGS: The main areas in which service users and carers found involvement difficult were: overcoming professional language barriers; emotional impact; and power imbalances between themselves and professionals. Findings suggest that considerable improvement is required by mental health professionals and managers if service users and carers are successfully involved in projects. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: This is a small study within a larger action research project. Findings are not generalisable owing to the small sample; however, findings are supported by the service-user involvement literature. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Few studies explore participation effects on service users and carers from their perspective. This research provides insights into what needs to be addressed to improve service user and carer involvement to improve mental health services.

Student nurses, increasing placement capacity and patient safety. A retrospective cohort study.

One solution to the global nursing shortage is to increase the numbers of student nurses: clinical placements need to increase their capacity to host them. Capacity increases have previously been viewed as problematic if they increase the supervisory burden on registered nurses, and unsafe if they dilute students' supervision. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on specific patient safety measures (pressure ulcers, falls and medications errors) of having students in placement being educated in Collaborative Learning in Practice (which increases capacity) compared to when they were not. Audit data were collected from four NHS trusts in the South West of England in a retrospective cohort study. We received data on 5532 adverse events from 15 clinical areas in four NHS trusts, with 996 students on placement between January 2018 and August 2019. The risk ratio and mean differences for adverse patient events were favourable (RR = 0.9842; 95%CI 0.9604-1.008; mean difference 279, 95%CI 213-346, p = 0.01). There was no statistically significant correlation between increased student numbers and increased adverse patient events. Our data must be interpreted with caution, but we conclude that increasing capacity for student nurses in placements appears to have a positive impact on patient safety.

Preparation and support for students in community placements: A mixed methods study.

Community nursing needs to expand its workforce in the United Kingdom in the immediate future, to accommodate the requirements of an ageing population and the rationalisation of care delivery to community settings resulting from Sustainability and Transformation Plans. It has been reported internationally that student nurses do not always value or learn from their community placements and that this may contribute to an apprehension regarding working in the sector after graduation. This mixed methods study, using a survey and a focus group, investigated students' views of their community placement experiences in relation to the learning environment, their clinical facilitator and the use of a structured learning package to prepare and guide development of skills and knowledge. The triangulated data indicate that students enjoyed their community placements as learning environments, had excellent relationships with their clinical facilitators, and would welcome a more structured information package as an approach to preparation and placement learning.

'Thinking like a nurse'. Changing the culture of nursing students' clinical learning: Implementing collaborative learning in practice.

This article reports a study evaluating the implementation of Collaborative Learning in Practice models at a university School of Nursing and Midwifery with practice partners across the South West of England. We conducted four focus group interviews with 40 students with experience of Collaborative Learning in Practice placements, and two focus groups with eight clinical practice staff with responsibility for implementing and supporting such models in their areas. Data were transcribed and analysed using the Framework Method. Key themes were 'Real time' Practice of Collaborative Learning Implementation, Collaborative Learning as Preparation for Registrant Practice, and the Student/Mentor Relationship. We conclude that Collaborative Learning in Practice utilising models of coaching and peer support, offers benefits to students who are exposed to the reality of nursing practice from the beginning of their placement experiences, enabling them greater responsibility and peer support than under normal mentoring arrangements. Furthermore, there are benefits to the registrants because the burdens of supervising students are spread more widely. This is timely given the review of Nursing and Midwifery Council standards for programmes and student support and the need to increase placement capacity as a response to global nursing shortages.

Collaborative learning in practice: A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the research evidence in nurse education.

Collaborative Learning in Practice is a model of placement learning for student nurses that is currently being implemented in the United Kingdom, apparently originating in Amsterdam. Potential benefits are reported to be increased placement capacity, reduced burdens on mentors as practice assessors, improvements in qualified nurses' job satisfaction, recruitment and retention, and better-developed preparedness for registrant practice amongst student nurses. We conducted a thorough, rigorous systematic review between October and December 2018 of the literature on Collaborative Learning in Practice to discover whether there was a research evidence base for these claims. We found nothing published in English in peer reviewed journals. We found 14 related papers, although these were about the Dedicated Education Unit concept, and we have conducted a narrative synthesis of them. Key findings support the assertions related to Collaborative Learning in Practice, albeit in different models of placement learning. Further research is necessary with Collaborative Learning in Practice stakeholders including staff and students, and regarding patient care metrics, to demonstrate benefits or otherwise and until that research takes place potential gains remain unproven.

Managing capacity issues in clinical placements for pre-registration nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore influences on decision-making concerning placement capacity planning for supporting nursing students in clinical placements. The research questions were: * How are decisions relating to capacity planning and management of the learning environment made within the practice areas? * What factors were or are perceived as important to take into consideration when making these decisions? BACKGROUND: It is already known that clinical placements are pivotal to pre-registration nurse education. The recent large expansion of nurse education places means that more students require clinical placements than previously. This study explored decision-making about placement capacity amongst mentors in one central English county. DESIGN: A qualitative design using focus groups. STUDY AND METHODS: Collecting data allowed researchers to engage mentors in discussions concerning their decisions about how many students they could support in practice and the learning environment they could provide. Twenty-nine active nursing student mentors participated, representing three branches (Adult, Mental Health and Child Health Nursing) from various acute and community settings and professional roles. RESULTS: Three themes emerged relating to capacity management issues in clinical placements: * Capacity issues: how decisions are made in relation to capacity planning, by whom they are made and what influences them? * Supporting learners and enhancing support in practice. * Issues impacting on learning in practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds further understanding of the need for robust information to support allocation decisions, coupled with greater clinical staff and mentors' involvement in decisions about student support. The forthcoming Skills for Health Ensuring Quality in Partnership requirements may add authority and structure to student support activities. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Strategic practice and placement development links and joint appointments between UK NHS trusts and higher education institutions should be considered if placement capacity issues are to be addressed successfully and the quality of students' placements are to be safeguarded.

The 'Reality of Revalidation in Practice' (RRiP) project - Experiences of registrants and preparation of students in nursing and midwifery in the United Kingdom: A descriptive exploratory survey.

BACKGROUND: Renewal of healthcare registration or license to practise is becomingly increasingly common, worldwide. Evidence regarding the experience of nursing and midwifery revalidation in the United Kingdom is limited. Preparation of students for the process has not yet been considered in the literature. OBJECTIVES: To explore registrants' experiences of undertaking or supporting colleagues through revalidation. To consider preparation of pre-registration students for this future professional requirement. DESIGN: A descriptive exploratory study comprising an on-line survey. SETTING: A university in the southwest of England and associated clinical placements. PARTICIPANTS: Nursing and Midwifery Council registrants, comprising 40 university staff and 40 clinicians; 36 pre-registration nursing and midwifery students. METHODS: Participation in an anonymous on-line survey was invited via university databases. Descriptive statistical analysis of quantitative data used a combination of software and manual methods. Qualitative data were manually coded and categorised into themes through inductive reasoning. FINDINGS: Most experiences of revalidation were positive. Reflective discussions resulted in mutual learning, particularly if partners were chosen by the registrant. External scrutiny was welcomed. Some registrants questioned involvement of line managers and alignment with performance review, seeking to avoid a 'tick-box exercise' and conflicts of interest. University staff felt better prepared and more positive than clinicians. Pre-registration curriculum activities preparing students included writing reflections, maintaining portfolios, practice assessment and discussions about the revalidation process. Midwifery students seemed better prepared than nursing peers. Key themes of 'Professional values', 'Preparation', 'Process' and 'Purpose' and a range of positive influences and potential hazards informed development of a conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS: The purpose and process of revalidation is enhanced if confirmation is undertaken by a registered nurse or midwife of the individual's choice. Preparation of students for future revalidation is facilitated by role-modelling of positive attitudes and explicitly linking relevant pre-registration curriculum activities to this process and purpose.

Nurse-led arterial blood gas sampling for patients.

Following the introduction of new guidelines in February 2006, assessments for long-term oxygen therapy are now being undertaken by respiratory nurse specialists. The key skill required is arterial blood gas sampling. This has traditionally been the role of the doctor, however by using an education and training package along with a competency-based assessment, nurses can now perform this extended role. Sarah Dodds and Graham Williamson describe a competency-based education and training programme for nurses to carry out this procedure.

A Systematic Review and Comprehensive Critical Analysis Examining the Use of Prednisolone for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Croup.

BACKGROUND: Many randomised control trials and systematic reviews have examined the benefits of glucocorticoids for the treatment of croup in children, but they have reported mainly on dexamethasone as an oral treatment for croup. No systematic reviews have examined prednisolone alone. AIM: To determine in a systematic review of the literature whether a single dose of oral prednisolone is as effective as a single dose of dexamethasone for reducing croup symptoms in children. SEARCH STRATEGY: A detailed search was conducted on the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE EBSCO, MEDLINE, OVID, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest, EMBASE, JBI, Sum search, and OpenGrey. Study authors were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised Controlled Trials, clinical trials or chart reviews which examined children with croup who were treated with prednisolone alone, or when prednisolone was compared to a dexamethasone treatment and the effectiveness of the intervention was objectively measured using croup scores and re-attendance as primary outcomes. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, relevant studies were identified. Scores were graded agreed by two independent reviewers using QualSyst. MAIN RESULTS: Four studies met the inclusion criteria, but were too heterogeneous to combine in statistical meta-analysis. The result suggests that although prednisolone appears as effective as dexamethasone when first given, it is less so for preventing re-presentation. Trial sample sizes were small, making firm conclusions difficult, however, a second dose of prednisolone the following day may be useful. More research including cost-benefit analysis is needed to examine the efficacy of prednisolone compared to dexamethasone.

Modernising chronic obstructive pulmonary disease admissions to improve patient care: Local outcomes from implementing the Ideal Design of Emergency Access project.

This project illustrates how benefits to patients, carers, staff and NHS trusts can result from service redesign that is targeted at improving services for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Using a Continuous Quality Improvement methodology and 'plan-do-study-act' cycles, this project established key local measures for service redesign based on the national Ideal Design of Emergency Care project. These were to improve patients' experiences of care, by: decreasing patient journey time, improving patient, carer and staff experiences and reducing process variability. The result was a reduction in the average length of stay for patients and an increase in the numbers of patients admitted directly to the emergency medical unit and transferred to the respiratory department. Service users were actively involved in developing the changes. Although not generalizable, this project provides useful insights for consideration by others facing similar issues in their own organisations: we conclude that the methodology used in this study has been instrumental in improving key aspects of patient care, and that a similar methodological approach could be effective for other organisations.

What is eHealth (5): a research agenda for eHealth through stakeholder consultation and policy context review.

BACKGROUND: In 2003, the National Health Service in England and Wales, despite its large investment in information and communication technology, had not set a national research agenda. The National Health Service has three main research and development programs: one is the Service Delivery and Organisation program, commissioned in 2003, and the others are two parallel "scoping exercises" to help set a research agenda. This paper reports on one of those projects. A parallel literature review was carried out by others and has been reported elsewhere. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore the concerns of stakeholders and to review relevant policy in order to produce recommendations and a conceptual map of eHealth research. METHODS: There were two parallel strands. For the stakeholder consultation, 37 professionals representing 12 "stakeholder" groups participated in focus groups or interviews. Discussion was prompted by eHealth "scenarios" and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Subsequently, 17 lay participants, in three focus groups, discussed and prioritized these themes. For the policy review, 26 policy makers were interviewed, and 95 policy documents were reviewed. Recommendations were subsequently reviewed in a conference workshop. Recommendations for research from both strands were combined into a conceptual map. RESULTS: Themes from stakeholder consultation and policy review were combined as 43 recommendations under six headings. Four of these headings (using, processing, sharing, and controlling information) describe the scope of eHealth research. The other two relate to how research should be carried out (ensuring best practice is first identified and disseminated) and to the values considered important by stakeholders (in particular, measuring improvement in health). CONCLUSIONS: The scope of eHealth research (using, processing, sharing, controlling information) derived empirically from this study corresponds with "textbook" descriptions of informatics. Stakeholders would like eHealth research to include outcomes such as improved health or quality of life, but such research may be long term while changes in information technology are rapid. Longer-term research questions need to be concerned with human behavior and our use of information, rather than particular technologies. In some cases, "modelling" longer-term costs and benefits (in terms of health) may be desirable.