MA(Hons); MSc; PhD; FHEA
Advanced Research Fellow
- ºÚÁÏÍø
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- Email Address
- z.skea@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 438153
- Office Address
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Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation (ACE) Health Sciences Building
Foresterhill Campus
Foresterhill
AB25 2ZD
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
Zoë Skea joined the Health Services Research Unit (now Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation, ACE) in 1999. She graduated in Sociology from the University of Glasgow in 1995 and gained an MSc in Health Services and Public Health Research from the ºÚÁÏÍø in 1999 and her PhD in 2005. Since joining ACE, Zoë's portfolio of research has involved sociologically informed investigations of stakeholders’ experiences of healthcare and of health services research. Zoë has particular interest and extensive expertise in using qualitative approaches to investigate patients’ perspectives of their care and treatment and also clinician – patient relations.
- Research
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Research Overview
Zoë currently has particular interests in:
‘Person centred care’ and associated concepts such as shared decision-making and support for self-management; clinician-patient communication issues; and issues relating to patient support and information provision. She also has interests in using evidence from patient/public and health professionals' perspectives to inform the design of health care research (e.g. clinical trials).
Zoë is always willing to discuss potential PhD supervisions and postdoctoral mentoring arrangements within these broad areas. Please contact Zoë at the e-mail address shown above or enquire at the Graduate School /study/postgraduate-research/
Current Research
OPAL: Hysteroscopy and polyp removal versus medical management for the improvement of abnormal uterine bleeding in premenopausal women: a feasibility trial (funded by NIHR)
The conceptual basis of functional activity limitation (FAL) and its measurement in neurodegenerative diseases - a mixed methods study (funded by NHS Grampian Charity)
RETHINK-VENT: Rethinking theatre ventilation for primary hip and knee arthroplasty: understanding feasibility, patient perspectives and potential environmental impact (funded by the James Weir Foundation)
Past Research
Examples of recently completed projects include:
'Come and work here!' Exploring the role of local community-led initiatives to improve recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in remote and rural areas (funded by NIHR).
Enhancing recruitment and retention of rural doctors in Scotland: A mixed methods study (Funded by the Chief Scientist Office).
Funding and Grants
2026- 2029 NHS Grampian Charity. The conceptual basis of functional activity limitation (FAL) and its measurement in neurodegenerative diseases. Swallow D & Skea ZC. £143,194.90
2022-2023 National Institute for Health Research. ‘Come and work here!’ Exploring the role of local community-led initiatives to improve recruitment and retention of healthcare staff in remote and rural areas.Locock, L., Hollick, R., Murchie, P., Skatun, D., Skea, ZC. & Watson, V. £243,666.53
2020-2022 Chief Scientist Office. Enhancing Recruitment And Retention Of Rural Doctors In Scotland: A Mixed-Methods Study. Locock L and Cleland J, Evans J, Hollick R, Murchie P, Skåtun D, Skea ZC, Watson V, Wilson P, Denison A. £298,984
2021-2022 NHS Grampian Endowments. Remote and rural healthcare: Pilot study to investigate experiences, differences and changes to medical care for people living in remote and rural areas of Scotland.' Maclaren A, Locock L, Skea ZC, Wilson P, Skåtun D £11,957
2019-2020 NHS Grampian Endowments. Baby boxes and parental capabilities: developing a measure of social outcomes. Skea ZC, Locock L, Ryan M, Morgan H, Black, M. £10,427
2018-2019 NHS Grampian Endowments. Using Care Opinion for patient-centred quality improvement.Locock L, Entwistle V, Skea ZC. £11,959
2016-2018 NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme. (REBALANCE) REview of Behaviour And Lifestyle interventions for severe obesity: AN evidenCE synthesis. Avenell A, Skea ZC, Aveyard P, Boyers D, de Bruin M, Webber L, MacLennan, G. £478,689.71
2014-2015 NHS Grampian Endowment Fund. Entwistle V, Swinton J, Oldroyd L, Skea Z, Sierawska A. Shared Decision-Making with Adults with Learning Difficulties: Pump Priming a New Research Theme for Person Centred Care. £11.670
2013-2015 The Health Foundation. Entwistle V, Cribb A, Watt I, Skea Z, Owens J. Re-conceptualising support for self-management of long-term conditions (Concept:SSM). £259,597
2011-2012 Prostate Cancer UK. Skea Z & MacLennan S (Joint CI), McCann S, N'Dow J. Support groups for men who have prostate cancer, their families and friends: identifying best practice models. £24,680
2011-2012 Scottish Cancer Research Network. Skea Z & MacLennan S (Joint CI). Information for choice in urological cancer: What people need, prefer and use. £21,629
2009 -2012 CSO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Services and Health of the Public Research. Schumm K, Campbell M, Ramsay C, Skea Z, MacLennan S, N'Dow J. The acceptability and usefulness of a trial participation decision aid: a mixed methods study of patients and clinicians in the UK. £167,975
2001-2005 CSO Research Training Fellowship. Skea Z, Entwistle V, Watt I, Russell E. Communication in different arenas: the case of MMR vaccine. £81,850
2000-2001 CSO small grant. Bhattacharya S, Entwistle V, Skea Z, Templeton A. Decision making in hysterectomy for heavy menstrual bleeding: how satisfied are women? (A pilot study). £20,575
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Over the last 10 years, Zoë was the Course Co-ordinator for two ºÚÁÏÍø courses - Qualitative Health Research PU5529 (on-campus) and Qualitative Health Research PU5039 (fully online). These courses formed part of the Masters in Public Health and Masters in Global Health and Management programmes. She also contributes to the following courses: Evidence Based Health PU5031; Systematic Reviewing (PU5526);Fundamentals of Research Design (PU5027); Work-Based Placement with Health and Development Sector Organisation (PU5521); and Standard Project in Public Health (PU5910).
Zoë has developed a range of post-graduate research proposals within her programme of research (including an MRC doctoral training grant proposal and has been involved in two cross-college PhD studentship applications with colleagues from IAHS and CASS). She has supervised numerous MSc projects to successful completion (MSc in Health Services and Public Health Research; MSc in Public Health), one MPhil (Mental Health), one CSO postdoctoral fellow, three PhD students (IAHS) and an Elizabeth Russell Post-doctoral Research Fellow. She currently supervises two PhD students (IAHS).
Zoë provides one-to-one expert advice to colleagues within ACE (and across IAHS) on a range of project proposals /funded projects (particularly in the area of qualitative methodology/mixed methods research).
- Publications
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Impact of fibromyalgia on work: informing strategies for enablement
Contributions to Journals: Conference Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [ONLINE] Video presentation
“Using humanity to change systems� – Understanding the work of online feedback moderation: a case study of Care Opinion Scotland
Digital Health, vol. 8, pp. 1-13Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery and non-surgical weight management programmes for adults with severe obesity: a decision analysis model
International Journal of Obesity, vol. 45, no. 10, pp. 2179-2190Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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Mental-physical multimorbidity treatment adherence challenges in Brazilian primary care: A qualitative study with patients and their healthcare providers
PloS ONE, vol. 16, no. 5, e0251320Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Moving to remote ethnography during Covid-19
Contributions to Conferences: Other Contributions- [ONLINE]
Co-design of data collection with participants of the Aberdeen Children of the 1950s cohort study
European Journal of Public Health, vol. 30, no. Supplement 5, pp. V294-V294Contributions to Journals: Abstracts- [ONLINE] DOI:
Anonymity, veracity and power in online patient feedback: A quantitative and qualitative analysis of staff responses to patient comments on the ‘Care Opinion’ platform in Scotland
Digital Health, vol. 6, pp. 1-13Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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Exploring non-retention in clinical trials: A meta-ethnographic synthesis of studies reporting participant reasons for drop out
BMJ Open, vol. 9, no. 6, e021959Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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InS:PIRE - Evaluation of the scaling up of a quality improvement initiative: abridged report
ºÚÁÏÍø. 52 pagesBooks and Reports: Other ReportsThe acceptability and feasibility of weight management programmes for adults with severe obesity: A qualitative systematic review
BMJ Open, vol. 9, no. 9, e029473Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
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Bariatric surgery, lifestyle interventions and orlistat for severe obesity: the REBALANCE mixed-methods systematic review and economic evaluation
Health Technology Assessment, vol. 22, no. 68, pp. 1-286Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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Development of a standardised set of metrics for monitoring site performance in multicentre randomised trials: a Delphi study
Trials, vol. 19, 557Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Surgeons' and methodologists' perceptions of utilising an expertise-based randomised controlled trial design: A qualitative study
Trials, vol. 19, 478Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
"The more you know, the more you realise it is really challenging to do": tensions and uncertainties in person-centred support for people with long-term conditions
Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 101, no. 8, pp. 1460-1467Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Jugglers and tightrope walkers: The challenge of delivering quality community pharmacy services
PloS ONE, vol. 13, no. 7, e0200610Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
“It’s trying to manage the work�: A qualitative evaluation of recruitment processes within a UK multi-centre trial
BMJ Open, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1-8Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
We need to talk about purpose: a critical interpretive synthesis of health and social care professionals’ approaches to self-management support for people with long-term conditions
Health Expectations, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 243-259Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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“Was that a success or not a success?�: a qualitative study of health professionals’ perspectives on support for people with long-term conditions
BMC Family Practice, vol. 18, 39Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
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Decision aids for people considering taking part in clinical trials
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 11, CD009736Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
'I've used the word cancer but it's actually good news': discursive performativity of cancer and the identity of urological cancer services
Sociology of Health & Illness, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 340-354Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Strengthening the ethical assessment of placebo-controlled surgical trials: three proposals
Journal of Medical Ethics, vol. 15, 78Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Involving patients in their care
Current Breast Cancer Reports, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 211-218Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Decision aids for randomised controlled trials: a qualitative exploration of stakeholders' views
BMJ Open, vol. 4, no. 8, e005734Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Patient information leaflets (PILs) for UK randomised controlled trials: a feasibility study exploring whether they contain information to support decision making about trial participation
Trials, vol. 15, 62Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]
Communicating good care: A qualitative study of what people with urological cancer value in interactions with health care providers
European Journal of Oncology Nursing, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 35-40Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI:
- [OPEN ACCESS]