Intended for healthcare professionals
Research priorities for future shocks
We don’t know when, but the next health shock – a sudden and extreme change that impacts on a health system – is coming. It may be related to an infectious disease outbreak such as covid-19, or a crisis created by conflict, climate change, financial systems, or natural disaster. In this BMJ Collection, experts explore priorities for the research community in a post-covid context to help the UK better prepare for future health shocks of all kinds and to mitigate their impact on healthcare practice and health outcomes.
The collection has two main themes: research priorities to develop UK resilience to future health shocks, and research priorities to mitigate the longer term effects of covid-19. The collection considers a range of topics for research to guide policy, including foresight approaches, multidisciplinary research, antimicrobial resistance, the health and care workforce, non-pharmaceutical interventions, non-communicable disease, child mental health, social care, public trust, and equity.
Analysis
Foresight approaches for future health shocks: integration into policy making and accompanying research priorities
Christina Pagel and colleagues argue that foresight approaches are key to preparedness for emergencies such as covid-19 and that these must be integrated within policy making at all levels; they suggest six principles for successful policy integration while highlighting key areas for future research
Protecting healthcare and patient pathways from infection and antimicrobial resistance
Innovative whole system approaches to integrate research and novel technologies within patient pathways are needed to target antibiotic use, minimise healthcare associated infections, and adapt to novel pathogens, write Derek Cocker and colleagues
Non-pharmaceutical interventions: evaluating challenges and priorities for future health shocks
Non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented during health shocks such as the covid-19 pandemic require rapid, robust, and rigorous evaluation that can generate timely evidence to guide government policy and maintain public confidence, say Azeem Majeed and colleagues
Research across multiple disciplines to respond to health shocks
Research that spans clinical specialties and research disciplines beyond health and healthcare is a priority for planning equitable responses to manage future health shocks, argue Amitava Banerjee and colleagues
Building public trust in preparation for future health shocks: a research agenda
Trust is fundamental to cooperation, essential in times of crisis. Researching and understanding trust networks and perceptions of trustworthiness is therefore crucial in preparing for future health shocks, write Heidi Larson and colleagues
Workforce research priorities for resilience to future health shocks—and the workforce crisis
More and better research is needed now to develop an evidence base that informs policy to maximise workforce effectiveness and wellbeing to respond to both the next health shock and the ongoing shock of the workforce crisis, write Kieran Walshe and colleagues
Non-communicable diseases: research priorities to mitigate impact of health system shocks
Amitava Banerjee and colleagues argue that the long term impact of non-communicable diseases should be prioritised in planning the response to and management of future health shocks
Neither seen nor heard: the evidence gap on the effect of covid-19 on mental health in children
Tamsin Ford and colleagues say better evidence on how children’s mental health is affected by health shocks is essential to inform policy responses
Opinion
Social care research: international cooperation is vital to prepare for future health shocks
Shared global challenges in long term care mean it is time to look beyond national borders to increase the resilience of social care, writes Adelina Comas-Herrera
None of us are prepared unless all of us are prepared: research for the next health shock must be inclusive and equitable
Rich countries like the UK will need to match rhetoric with investment and action at home and internationally to ensure global health security and resilience to health shocks, write Ebere Okereke and colleagues
This BMJ Collection was proposed by the Health Foundation, a UK independent charity and thinktank, which funded the collection, including open access fees. The BMJ commissioned, peer reviewed, edited, and made the decisions to publish the articles. Richard Hurley was the lead editor for The BMJ. The steering group members advising The BMJ were Amitava Banerjee, Adelina Comas, Angela Coulter, Alex Freeman, Josie Goulding, Alison Holmes, Azeem Majeed, and William Roberts.
