"Antibiotics Prescribing Decision-making Process in Secondary Care: a System Dynamics Approach" keynote presentation success

Congratulations to Dr Nina Zhu, Research Assistant at Imperial’s  NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance and Public Health England for her achievements at the 21st Annual Conference “System Dynamics: Uncovering connections – delivering insight” of the System Dynamics UK Chapter  (4 and 5 April 2019 at the Royal College of Nursing). Nina stepped into the spotlight as key note on day 1 and then went on to win the grand prize for her poster presentation on day 2, showcasing her doctoral research. This UK annual meeting is a priority for researchers in System Dynamics and systems thinking from government, public and private sectors (including health, energy, transport, consultancy and legal firms).

Nina presented her novel application of the methodology and findings during her talk titled: “Antibiotics Prescribing Decision-making Process in Secondary Care: a System Dynamics Approach”. Nina stepped in when the keynote cancelled and her presentation has generated rave reviews and feedback as well as numerous follow-up inquiries. The chapter president, Dr. Siôn Cave, commented on the fact that it is extremely rare to see a simulation model as the output of a three year PhD project with complete primary data collection - most of the peer modellers do not have enough support in data and empirical knowledge to deliver something similar. Nina highlighted that the multidisciplinary group at the NIHR HPRU and her primary supervisors (Dr Raheelah Ahmad and Prof. Alison Holmes) supported her with data, empiric knowledge in the model context, and policy implications. Input and expertise from Prof Rifat Atun from Harvard, and Dr Reda Lebcir allowed adequate flexibility that made it possible for her to explore such a novel research method. 

Nina has since been invited by the Department of Transport to give a talk about System Dynamics modelling in public policy in the quarterly meeting of Whitehall Systems Thinking Interest Group for the audience from Government Operational Research Service.

Dr Zhu is also due to present  her research on Wednesday 10 April at the Public Health Research and Science Conference 2019, “Application of scientific methods to improve and protect health” in Manchester.  Nina is part of 4 presentations within the session titled “Celebrating five years of HPRU’s III”.  

This novel modelling method has been also employed in a different public health topic, in a recently published article by researchers from the NIHR HPRU, titled “How the health-seeking behaviour of pregnant women affects neonatal outcomes: findings of system dynamics modelling in Pakistan” in BMJ Global Health.

This collective work demonstrates a fresh and powerful approach to capturing complexity in health systems management.