The Healthy Working Lives Group has undertaken national research examining research priorities, academic activity and teaching involvement among UK occupational physicians and occupational health researchers.
This work addresses a major challenge for occupational health: how to strengthen the academic base of the specialty, support evidence-informed practice, and ensure that future research addresses the most important questions for workers, employers, clinicians and policymakers.
About this work
Occupational health is a clinically important and policy-relevant specialty, but its academic and research capacity has historically been limited.
To support the future development of the field, we conducted research to identify current priorities for occupational health research in the UK and to understand the extent of research and teaching activity among UK occupational physicians.
This work helps identify where research effort should be focused, what barriers prevent occupational physicians from taking part in academic activity, and how the specialty can build stronger links between clinical practice, teaching and research.
Research priorities in occupational health
The group undertook a national modified Delphi study with UK occupational physicians and occupational health researchers.
The study identified current research priorities for the field and highlighted areas where evidence is most needed to support occupational health practice, policy and service development.
Priority areas included:
- economic evaluation and cost-effectiveness of occupational health interventions;
- disability management;
- occupational disease, injury and illness;
- mental health and psychosocial hazards in the workplace;
- evidence-based guidance for clinical occupational health practice;
- research to support occupational health policy and service delivery.
Research and teaching activity
The group also examined research and teaching activity among UK occupational physicians.
This study established a baseline of academic activity among UK occupational physicians and identified barriers to greater involvement in research and teaching.
The work found that occupational physicians contribute to research and teaching, but participation is shaped by factors such as time, opportunity, job role, workplace setting and competing service demands.
Understanding these barriers is essential if occupational health is to develop the academic capacity needed to support education, evidence-based practice and future workforce development.
Why this matters
A strong occupational health specialty needs more than clinical service delivery. It also needs research, teaching, academic leadership and evidence-informed policy.
Without clear research priorities, effort and funding can become fragmented. Without academic capacity, the specialty risks losing influence in workforce health, public health and employment policy.
This programme of work helps occupational health ask the awkward but necessary questions: what evidence do we actually need, who is producing it, and how do we stop research capacity becoming everyone’s favourite “important issue” that nobody has time to fix?
Key themes
- Occupational health research priorities
- Academic activity in occupational health
- Teaching activity among occupational physicians
- Research capacity
- Evidence-informed occupational health practice
- Modified Delphi methods
- Occupational health policy
- Clinical guidance
- Research-practice gap
- Future development of the occupational health specialty
Selected publications
- Current research priorities for UK occupational physicians and occupational health researchers: a modified Delphi study
Lalloo, D., Demou, E., Smedley, J., Madan, I., Asanati, K. and Macdonald, E.B. (2018). Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 75(11), pp. 830–836.
https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/165110/ - Research and teaching activity in UK occupational physicians
Lalloo, D., Demou, E., Pahl, N. and Macdonald, E.B. (2020). Occupational Medicine, 70(1), pp. 64–67.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31644805/
Healthy Working Lives Group 