Dr Sarah Barnes BA(hons), PgDip, PhD
Section of Public Health
School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR)University of Sheffield
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
Office: Room 2037, Regent Court
Tel: (+44) (0) 114 222 0727
Fax: (+44) (0) 114 272 4095
email : s.barnes@sheffield.ac.uk
Biography
I joined the University of Sheffield in 2000 as a Research Associate in Sheffield Institute for Studies in Ageing (SISA). Here I worked on the multi-discipliniary EPSRC-funded project Design in Caring Environmens (DICE), a study of quality of life and building design in residential and nursing care homes for older people. During this time I completed my PhD which explored space, choice and control in care settings for older people and its relationship to resident quality of life. Following on from this I successfully managed a three year, multi-method, longitudinal study identfying the need for end of life care among older people with heart failure and their families, funded by the Department of Health. This was the first study to recruit a large, community-based sample of heart failure patients in the UK. New methods of identifying heart failure patients from primary care records were used to recruit over 500 heart failure patients from a number of GP practices.
In January 2007 I began working in ScHARR as a Lecturer in Public Health where I have retained my commitment to interdisciplinary/cross departmental research collaboration.
Research Interests
My primary research interest is in 'improving the quality of life of older people'. Key research areas arising from this are:-
- The impact of the physical environment on the quality of life of older people
- Evaluating the housing needs of older people
- Assessing the palliative care needs of older people with life-limiting illnesses
- Improving communication between patients with life-limiting conditions and their health care professionals
- Improving hospital environments for the end of life care of older people
Teaching Interests
My teaching interests lie in Research Methods and I am currently the module leader for the MPH Introduction to Research Methods module. http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/scharr/prospective_students/masters/mph/modules/irm.
I also supervise several MPH dissertations each year.
I am interested in supervising Research Students using qualitative and mixed methods approaches and am particularly interested in aspects of gerontology and palliative care.
I gained my Certificate in Learning and Teaching (CiLT) in 2009. Since working as a Lecturer in Public Health I have led and co-led modules in Health Needs Assessment and International Health Policy and have also contributed to the public health components of the MBChB.
Activities
- ScHARR Postgraduate Admissions Officer
- Member of ScHARR Teaching Committee
- Member of University of Sheffield Equality and Diversity Board
- Academic reviewer for a number of journals and grant applications.
Current projects
- NIHR Physical Environment Research Programme. Built environment in acute care for older people. Parker S G (PI), Barnes S, Nolan M, Booth A, Deardon A. £274,440. February 2011 - March 2013.
- BUPA Foundation: Phillip Poole-Wilson Seed Corn fund. Pre-protocol work to develop a Randomised Control Trial to enhance patient-professsional communication about end of life issues in life limiting conditions other than cancer. Barnes S (PI), Gott M, Payne S, Gardiner C, Small N, Seamark D, Halpin D. £19923. February 2010 - February 2011.
- Supportive and Primary Care Oncology Research Group (SPORG). Improving hospital environments for the end of life care of older people dying of malignant disease. Gardiner C (PI), Barnes S, Ingleton C, Gott M. £3960. January 2010 - December 2010.
- Dunhill Medical Trust. A pilot study to explore the palliative care needs of older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Gott M (PI), Barnes S, Payne S, Small N, Seamark D, Halpin D, Ruse C. £56890. January 2008 - January 2009.
- Engingeering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) SCEAM-extra design evaluation of older people's extra care housing: development and testing of as assessment tool. Torrington J (PI), McKee K, Barnes S, Netten A, Darton R. £658000. October 2007 - October 2010
Key publications
Gott M, Small N, Barnes S, Payne S, Parker C, Seamark D and Gariballa S. Older people's views of a good death in heart failure: implications for palliative care provision. Social Science and Medicine 2008; 67(7): 1113-1121.
Gott M, Barnes S, Payne S, Parker C, Seamark D, Gariballa S, and Small N. Dying trajectories in heart failure. Palliative Medicine 2007; 21: 95-99.
Barnes S, Gott M, Payne S, Parker C, Seamark D, Gariballa S and Small N. Prevalence of symptoms in a community-based sample of heart failure patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2006; 32(3): 208-216.
Barnes S, Gott M, Payne S, Parker C, Seamark D, Gariballa S and Small N. Recruiting older people into a large, community-based study of heart failure. Chronic Illness 2005; 1: 321-329.
Parker C J, Barnes S, McKee K J, Morgan K, Torrington J M and Tregenza P R. Quality of life and building design in residential and nursing homes for older people. Ageing and Society 2004; 24: 941-962.