Presentation by Dr Heidi Probst, Sheffield Hallam University Centre for Health and Social Care Research. Delivered at MyKnowledgeMap's Innovation in Placement Assessment conference, 18 November 2014, at Anglia Ruskin University.

1. Using mobile technology to develop research
skills – the RAHP app.
Heidi Probst, Rob Appleyard

2. Get the app

3. National Drivers that Frame the
Problem
The Department of Health
QIPP (Quality Innovation,
Productivity and
Prevention)3 agenda
requires practitioners to
consider efficient and
productive ways of
providing safe care for
patients.
This agenda needs innovative,
intrapreneurial practitioners across a
range of professions to drive change.

4. National Drivers that Frame the
Problem
Radiotherapy: Developing a world
class service
Health Education England
Domain 3
…evidence that links education and training
to improvement and innovation in patient
care
Liberating the NHS: Developing the
healthcare Workforce
“hardwiring innovation into the curricula of
courses”

5. Allied Health Professionals
There are over 130,000 Allied Health
Practitioners (AHPs) working across a
range of sectors in the UK; contributing
critical expertise in a number of care
pathways.
Therapy radiographers
Diagnostic
radiographers
Occupational
Therapists
Physiotherapists

6. 1-The Problem
•Poor engagement during the proposal development
period.
•Students often take a long time to develop a
proposal that is sufficiently developed (good enough
quality) to submit to governance and ethics
committees.
•Less able students may need more structure to help
them formulate a good proposal.
•Some negative feedback from dissertation students
is sometimes about lack of perceived support.

7. 2-The Problem
• A lack of creativity in
dissertation topics from
students
• Poorly defined topics that
lack the potential for impact
on service or patient care.
• May not link sufficiently with
employer research priorities.
• Stakeholders (NHS
department managers) feel
disconnected from
dissertation projects

8. To increase innovative
thinking in our students and
to support the project
development phase maybe we
need to be more innovative
• There appears to be a disconnect between
practitioners day to day service delivery
problems and University supported
learning.
• Access to online e-learning courses from
within the hospital environment is
problematic- tools such as Blackboard and
Pebblepad access is restricted because of
tight hospital firewalls making University
supported learning in the workplace
difficult.
© Sheffield Hallam University

9. Developing Research Skills through
an Intrapreneurial Lens
“individuals who take responsibility
for developing new innovations,
thinking outside the box and showing
creativity who operate within an
existing organization”.
Dayhoff and Moore (2003)

10. The Path to Intrapreneurship
©Sheffield Hallam University

12. Intrapreneurial Learning Methods Application
Learning by doing · Task-based learning.
· Tasks reflective of the activities undertaken by
clinical researchers.
Learning from networking · Participants required to use existing networks
within their local employing organisation to
gain understanding and perspectives on their
proposed research.
Learning from mentors/role models · Short audio files from intrapreneurs used to
highlight strategies for overcoming barriers
and challenges to innovation within the NHS.
· Feedback from supervisors on their research
journal entries providing expertise from
personal research experiences
Learning from mistakes · Encourage reflection throughout the proposal
development phase on difficulties experienced
or negative feedback from peers.
Learning through challenging tasks · Tasks designed to take practitioners out of
their comfort zone but with an opportunity for
support through peer and moderated
discussions.
Translation of the Intraprenurial Pedagogy into a
Task Based Smartphone App- The RAHP App

13. Task
1 Tri-partite agreement
2 Elevator Pitch- The research idea
3 Preparing for Publication
4 The Literature in the Field
5 Method/Study Design
6 Gaining Stakeholder Input
7 The Research Journal
8 The Full Proposal
9 Feedback results to the
department- Presentation

14. Key Benefits of the Smartphone App
• Allows the individual to gain stakeholder perspectives on the
research idea from ‘within the moment’ reflections at research
forums or one to one meetings with members of the wider
multi-disciplinary team.
• The learner becomes the conductor of their own learning (as
opposed to the tutor) bringing in relevant stakeholders when
required.
• Early evaluations from the pilot indicate improved
participant’s skills/knowledge in the research process,
appraising research evidence, and designing a research
project.

15. Key Benefits continued
• Students gain from the direct one to one feedback obtained
through the app from their supervisor
• Students can easily see and monitor their progress as
tasks are completed
• Helps to monitor and track trainee progress in an
interactive way
• Can access the web version as well as the app so not
exclusive to smartphone/tablet owners
• Students can access and work on the app offline getting
stakeholder input on the job without the need for wi-fi,
avoiding the difficulties associated with hospital fire walls

16. I know what you’re thinking-
It’s ok for people who are comfortable with
techy stuff- what about the rest of us?

17. Testing and Evaluation
3 Experienced AHPs used the app prior to the programme
going live
“I like the style of this programme. The resources are well
thought out and varied” (evaluator 1)
, “...this is really useful as you can expand on every task as
you see fit. I like the blog/reflective journal too as this can be
used as an integral part of the research process and as you
progress through the project can be used in your research
process particularly in more qualitative designs where the
researchers perspective needs to be explored.” (evaluator 2),

18. Evaluation
“Love the idea and wish there was something
like this available when I started in research”
(evaluator 3)

19. Time to have a go
Open up the app on your smart device
1. First open up Task 8 The Research Proposal
1. Then try Task 9 Feedback to the Department

20. References
1. Allied health Professions Federation. (2012. The Role of AHPs.
http://www.ahpf.org.uk/RFAHP.htm
2. Amo, B. & Kolvereid, L. 2005. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY, INDIVIDUAL
PERSONALITY AND INNOVATION BEHAVIOR. Journal of Enterprising Culture,
13, (1) 7-19
3. Department of Health. Department of Health QIPP agenda- Innovation. 2011.
Ref Type: Online Source http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/policy-areas/
nhs/quality/qipp/
4. Department of Health 2012, Liberating the NHS: Developing the Healthcare
Workforce (from design to delivery).
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicy
AndGuidance/DH_132076
5. Probst H, Eddy D, Eddy A, Cummings J 2 INSPIRE: Increasing Intrapreneurial
Skills through Pedagogy, increases Innovation, Retention and Employability.
2012, Report http://www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/reports
6. Salmon, G. 2004. E-moderating: The key to teaching and learning online,
second edition ed. Routledge Falmer.