Getting the bloods to the laboratory: developing interventions to improve the blood culture pathway for patient safety and antimicrobial stewardship.
News
British Sociological Associate (BSA) Medical Sociology Annual Conference
Deborah Bamber attended the British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Annual Conference at Northumbria University, Newcastle, where she presented findings from her ethnographic study of blood culture sampling practices. As part of the Diagnosis, Screening and Treatment session, Deborah gave an oral presentation exploring diagnostic pathways in the emergency department and sharing insights from the study, which was informed by Translational Mobilisation Theory.
Health Services Research (HSR) UK Conference
We attended the HSR UK conference at the University of Manchester, where Deborah Bamber presented two posters, focusing on intervention development and lived experience in improving blood culture sampling in emergency care.
Deborah Bamber presented An integrated approach to intervention development: using mixed methods, co-design, and logic modelling for interventions to optimise blood culture sampling in emergency care
Deborah Bamber and Tony Locke, PPIE group lead also presented Listening to lived experience: improving blood culture sampling through public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE).
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Poster Presentation
Carolyn Tarrant presented the Blood culture sampling practices in emergency care: designing interventions to optimise practice poster at the ESCMID global in Munich, following its presentation at the East Midlands AMR Network.
International Network for AMR Social Science (INAMRSS) Research Talk
Carolyn Tarrant delivered a five-minute speed talk presentation in Munich, Germany, on blood culture sampling practices in emergency care. Exploring the findings through an ethnographic study, informed by the Translational Mobilisation theory.
East Midlands AMR Network Poster Presentation
Deborah Bamber presented a research poster to the East Midlands AMR Network at the University of Nottingham entitled: Blood Culture sampling practices in emergency care: co-designing interventions to optimise practice.
East Midlands AMR Network presentation
Carolyn Tarrant gave an online presentation to the East Midlands AMR Network entitled- Optimising antibiotic use in acute care settings:
The use of social science theory and methods.
Serdes25 conference
We attended ServDes, the Service Design and Innovation conference in Hyderabad, India. Alison Prendiville gave a keynote speech titled 'Bridging the Global Healthcare Divide.'
Wenbo Ai delivered an online presentation on 'Preparing a Comprehensive and Accessible Design Ethnography in Complex Environments: Reflections Based on Case Studies from Three UK NHS Emergency Departments.
More here
1st - 2nd July 2025
Health Services Research UK (HSR UK) Conference
We attended the HSR UK conference in Newcastle to present preliminary findings from the ethnographic work about understanding blood culture sampling practices.
More here
Health Services Research UK (HSR UK) Conference
We attended the HSR UK conference in Newcastle to present preliminary findings from the ethnographic work about understanding blood culture sampling practices.
More here
20th November 2024
East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference
We attended the East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference, hosted by University of Nottingham, and held on Wednesday 20th November. It provided an opportunity to talk about the iSample project and share work on the scoping review.
More here
East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference
We attended the East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference, hosted by University of Nottingham, and held on Wednesday 20th November. It provided an opportunity to talk about the iSample project and share work on the scoping review.
More here
15th - 16th May 2025
The 3rd Behavioural Insights and Antimicrobial Resistance Workshop
The 3rd Behavioural Insights and Antimicrobial Resistance Workshop
15th - 16th May 2025
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) Conference
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) Conference
We attended the BASC conference in Birmingham and presented our two posters.
More here
More here
4th July 2024
PPI Launch event
We held a successful PPI launch event on 4th July at the University of Leicester. The project team presented the project introduction, provided clinical context, research methods training.
More here
PPI Launch event
We held a successful PPI launch event on 4th July at the University of Leicester. The project team presented the project introduction, provided clinical context, research methods training.
More here
News
15-16th May 2025
The 3rd Behavioural Insights and
Antimicrobial Resistance Workshop
The 3rd Behavioural Insights and
Antimicrobial Resistance Workshop
Deborah Bamber and Eva Krockow attended the 3rd Behavioural Insights and Antimicrobial Resistance Workshop as part of the Antimicrobials: Behaviour and Cognition Network, hosted by University of Vienna.
Deborah
gave an oral presentation on the preliminary findings from the Part 1c ethnographic study of blood culture sampling practice.
News
5-8th Oct 2025
Servdes 25 conference
Preparing a comprehensive and accessible design ethnography in complex environments: reflections based on case studies from 3 UK NHS emergency departments.Servdes 25 conference
Our presentation discussed the ethical and ethnographic preparation methods employed in the initial design ethnography phase of the i-sample project. It offers valuable strategies for researchers to prepare effectively for ethnographic observations and equip themselves with the necessary tools for conducting fieldwork in complex settings. Furthermore, we suggest a structured, rapid service design approach can improve ethnographic efficiency while reducing disruption in high-pressure environments.
Read our published conference paper here.
News
20.11.24
East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference
East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference
Deborah Bamber and Eva Krockow attended the East Midlands AMR Network Inaugural Conference, hosted by University of Nottingham, and held on Wednesday 20th November. It provided an opportunity to talk about the iSample project and share work on the scoping review.
News
1-2July 2025
Health Services Research UK (HSR UK) Conference
Health Services Research UK (HSR UK) Conference
Deborah Bamber and Tony Locke (PPIE member) attended the Health Services Research UK (HSR UK) Conference, hosted by University of Newcastle. Deborah and Tony gave an oral presentation on the preliminary findings from the Part 1c ethnographic study of blood culture sampling practice during a research discussion session on patient safety.
News
15-16 May 2025
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
(BSAC) Conference
British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
(BSAC) Conference
We presented our I-SAMPLE research at the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Spring conference, at the ICC Birmingham, 15-16 May 2025. Two posters described early findings from the ethnographic study, and the initial stages of the co-design process. A poster reporting a scoping literature review of interventions to improve blood culture sampling was also presented, by University of Leicester intercalated MSc student Muuna Abdi.
Poster2 -Design ethnorgraphy and co-design interventions:
News
04.07.24
PPI Launch event
PPI Launch event
We held a successful PPI launch event on 4th July at the University of Leicester. The project team presented the project introduction, provided clinical context, research methods training.
We also prepared co-design workshop for both online and offline PPI participants, allowing them to share sepsis and blood culture experiences, also had an interactive round-table discussion about motivations and expectations of this project.
Feedback from Tony, a PPIE group member:
“Thank you for this excellent conference. It was very valuable to meet everyone and to hear the presentations. The event was, not only well organised, but the science and techinical aspects were so clearly explained”.
About
The I-SAMPLE project was conducted in 3 NHS Trusts in England. The project started in January 2024 and ended in September 2026.
The study had several components:
Analysis of routine hospital data
Quantitative analysis of routine hospital data from three NHS trusts.
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Survey of healthcare professionals
A national survey of health professionals’ attitudes, beliefs and experiences of blood sampling.
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An ethnographic study of blood sampling practice
An in-depth ethnographic study in three NHS trusts to identify the organisational, social and behavioural influences on reliability of blood sampling.Read more
Part 2
Embedded co-design and
evaluation of feasibility of interventions
We worked with patients and public (PPIE) and expert advisory group meetings, and produced diverse outputs including recommendations for policy, presentations to stakeholders, academic papers, video outputs to share findings with staff, patients and the public. Read more
9 workshops
Co-design
2 evaluation workshops
Acceptability and feasibility
Meetings
PPIE and expert advisory
group meetings