Second year medical student's first experiences of research...take 2!

I have spent the past 6 weeks on my research attachment with the RAT group and was researching the information needs of people affected by dementia.

My task was to design a grant proposal for prospective research and having read through literature on the broad topic of dementia, I found out that people from Black Ethnic Minorities in the UK have difficulty accessing dementia information, with stigma towards mental health illness playing a key factor in this. My idea was to provide information in places of worship, a trusted environment, to try and overcome that stigma and improve knowledge of how to access dementia services.

This was my first experience of designing research and I found it challenging at times, but I enjoyed learning more about Dementia and having the opportunity to find out what research is being done, and the steps that are involved in designing and conducting research.

I also had the opportunity to be introduced to Telehealth which I found very interesting, as it allowed for more care to take place in the patient's homes and helped to improve communication.

Written by Tim Sargeant