Dr Andy Dickens MSc, PhD

 

Research Fellow

Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Contact details

Telephone +44 (0)121 414 7422

Email a.p.dickens@bham.ac.uk

Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
School of Health and Population Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

About

Andy Dickens is a Research Fellow on an NIHR-funded study entitled ‘The Birmingham COPD cohort study: a primary care cohort of COPD patients’.

Over the past 11 years Andy has worked in the field of health service research, developing particular research interests in trials methodology, complex interventions, health outcomes for older people and public health.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Medical Studies, University of Exeter, 2010
  • MSc in Social Research, University of Plymouth, 2003
  • BA (Hons) in Social Policy, University of York, 1999

Biography

Andy Dickens qualified with a BA (Hons) in Social Policy from the University of York in 1999. His first research post was at University of Plymouth where he also gained his MSc in Social Research.

In 2003, he joined the Primary Care Research Group at Peninsula Medical School (Exeter), undertaking research with a variety of population groups including adults with chronic knee pain and mental health problems, as well as stroke rehabilitation patients and recipients of out-of-hours care. His PhD was based on a controlled trial evaluating a community mentoring intervention targeting social isolation in older people. Following completion of his PhD, still within Peninsula Medical School Andy became a Research Fellow in Public Health & Older People, developing research studies in the field of dementia.

Andy recently moved from Exeter to take up his current Research Fellow position within Public Health, Epidemiology & Biostatistics.

Research

RESEARCH THEMES
 COPD epidemiology, health services research

Publications

Dickens AP, Richards SH, Greaves CJ, Campbell JL. (2011) Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 11: 647 (highly accessed).

Dickens AP, Lang, IA, Langa KM, Kos K, Llewellyn DJ. (2011) Vitamin D, cognitive dysfunction and dementia in older adults. CNS Drugs (invited lead article), 25(8): 629-39.

Dickens AP, Richards SH, Hawton A, Taylor R, Greaves CJ, Green C, Campbell JL, Edwards R. (2011) An evaluation of the effectiveness of a community mentoring service for socially isolated older people: a controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 11: 218.

Richards SH, Campbell JL, Dickens A. (2011) Does the method of administration influence the UK GMC patient questionnaire ratings? Primary Health Care Research & Development, 12: 68-78.

Hawton A, Green C, Dickens AP, Richards SH, Taylor R. Edwards R, Greaves C, Campbell J. (2011) The impact of social isolation on the health status and health-related quality of life of older people. Quality of Life Research, 20(1): 57-67 (available online July 2010).

Richards SH, Campbell JL, Walshaw E, Dickens A, Greco M. (2009) A multi-methods analysis of free-text comments from the UK GMC Colleague Questionnaire. Medical Education, 43: 757-766.

Clark CE, Greaves C, Evans PH, Dickens A, Campbell JL. (2009) The interarm blood pressure difference in Type 2 diabetes: a barrier to effective management? British Journal of General Practice, 59: 428-432.

Campbell JL, Roland M, Richards S, Dickens A, Greco M, Bower P. (2009) Users’ reports and evaluations of out-of-hours health care and the UK national quality requirements: a cross sectional study. British Journal of General Practice, 59: 18-23

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