John Dinsmore

PhD Stroke, Illness Perception and Quality of Life

The Queens University of Belfast · Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science

Since the age of 14 I have wanted to be a Psychologist. Its been a hard but worthy road and along the way I have met some extraordinary people. My current focus is to develop my theories in psychological recovery post stroke as well as in other chronic illlnesses and mental health. Currently in 2011 I am embarking on writing a series of papers for submission with the hope of being published.

Research skills

Technical

Data Collection, Data entry, One to one with stroke patients at the acute and chronic phases, one to one with mentally ill clients/patients, planning and implementing research strategies, writing funding reports, presenting data, journal writing, poster presentations.
IT

SPSS, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Mircosoft Access.
Statistical

SPSS - Descriptives, Correlations, regressions, preliminary analysis of data to ensure no violation of the assumptions of normality, linearity, multicolinearity and homoscedasticty, Prinicpal Components Analysis, Factor Analysis etc.
Other

Financial Management, Press, PR, business plans, company profiling, Funding Applications, investment.

Research interests

Interests

COPD, Self-motivated, Self Management, Chronic Illness, Community Based Rehabilitation, Technology Adoption, Illness Perception, Quality of Life Research, Illness Representations, Technology Assessment, Dementia, Quality of Life, Tablets, Caregivers, Stroke, behavioral change, behavioural change

Research experience

Teaching: Oscail Distance Learning Degree Modules in 1) Abnormal Psychology and 2) Individual Differences
Jun 2011

Research: TRIL Project

Trinity College, Dublin · School of Nursing and Midwifery · Trinity College Dublin

TRIL and Intel · Dublin

COPD, Technology, chronic illness, self-management, psychology, education and knowledge
Jul 2010–
Jul 2011

Research: Weight Care Project

University of Ulster - Jordanstown · School of Communication · University of Ulster - Jordanstown

Health Communication · Belfast

Weight; Care; Project; Obesity; health psychology
May 2007–
Sep 2010

Research: MATISSE Project

Imperial College London · Psychological Medicine · Imperial College London

Mental Health Services Research · London/Bath/Belfast

Schizophrenia, GAF, PANSS
Oct 2003–
May 2007

Research: HARP Project

Royal College of Surgeons/The Queen's University Belfast · Psychology Department · Royal College of Surgeons/The Queen's University Belfast

Health Research Board · Dublin/Belfast

Stroke, Quality of Life, Illness Perception

Education

Nov 2010–
Nov 2010

University of Ulster - Jordanstown

Good Clinical Practice · Certificate

United Kingdom · Belfast
Oct 2003–
Nov 2009

The Queen's University Belfast

School of Medicine · PhD

United Kingdom · Belfast
Sep 1998–
Jul 2001

The Queen's University Belfast

Psychology · BSc Single Honours

United Kingdom · Belfast

Awards & achievements

Oct 2003

Scholarship: Royal College of Surgeons Ireland PhD Scholarship

Other

Languages

English
Scientific Memberships

BPS
Other Interests

Football, Tennis, Mountain Biking, Running, Reading, Film, travel, cooking and off course music!, Stroke, Psychology and Health, JAMA, AM J Psychiatry, Contemporary Psychology in Europe, Neuropsychobiology, The Psychologist, Qual Life Res, British J of Clinical Psychology etc

Publications

2.22

Impact points

Weight Care Project: Health professionals' attitudes and ability to assess body weight status - study protocol.

Anne Moorhead, Vivien Coates, Diane Hazlett, Alison Gallagher, Kathy Murphy, Geraldine Nolan, John Dinsmore

BMC public health. 03/2011; 11:202.

Health professionals working in primary care and public health have opportunities to address body weight status issues with their patients through face-to-face contact. The objectives of this all-Ireland project are: 1. to assess the attitudes, current practices/behaviours and knowledge of key healt... [more] Health professionals working in primary care and public health have opportunities to address body weight status issues with their patients through face-to-face contact. The objectives of this all-Ireland project are: 1. to assess the attitudes, current practices/behaviours and knowledge of key health professional groups on body weight status; 2. to assess the health professional groups' ability to identify body weight status in both adults and children. The health professional groups are: (a) community related public health nurses; (b) school public health nurses; (c) GPs and practice nurses (primary care); and (d) occupational health nurses (workplace) from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This all-Ireland multi-disciplinary project follows a mixed methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, and consists of four components:1. Literature review - to explore the role of health professionals in managing obesity through spontaneous intervention in a variety of health promotion settings.2. Telephone interviews and focus groups - to gain an in-depth insight into the views of health professionals in assessing body weight status.3. Survey (primarily online but also paper-based) - to determine the attitudes, current practices/behaviours and knowledge of health professionals in assessing body weight status.4. Online evaluation study - an online interactive programme will be developed to assess health professionals' ability to identify the body weight status of adults and children. This project will assess and report the attitudes, current practices/behaviours and knowledge of key health professional groups within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on body weight status, and their ability to identify body weight status in both adults and children. The results of this project will generate recommendations for clinical practice in managing obesity, which may inform policy guidelines.
Stroke, Illness Perception and Quality of Life

John Dinsmore

11/2009

Degree: PhD

Supervisor: Dr. Vivienne Crawford
7.04

Impact points

Stroke Presentation and Hospital Management. Comparison of Neighboring Healthcare Systems With Differing Health Policies.

Vivienne L S Crawford, John G Dinsmore, Robert W Stout, Claire Donnellan, Desmond O'Neill, Hannah McGee

Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation. 04/2009;

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute stroke care is shaped by healthcare policies. Differing policies in similar populations allow for assessment of policy impact on health and healthcare outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare stroke presentation and hospital care in two adjacent healthcare sys... [more] BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Acute stroke care is shaped by healthcare policies. Differing policies in similar populations allow for assessment of policy impact on health and healthcare outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare stroke presentation and hospital care in two adjacent healthcare systems with differing healthcare policies. METHODS: Interviews and chart review of consecutive acute stroke admissions in Northern Ireland (n=103) and the Republic of Ireland (n=100). RESULTS: Marked regional contrasts were evident for key aspects of hospital care. Northern Ireland performed significantly better on 15 of 16 quality of care (Sentinel Audit) items. Delivery on standards was significantly better in Northern Ireland for early assessment (Northern Ireland 72%; Republic of Ireland 54%, P<0.01), multidisciplinary review (Northern Ireland 69%; Republic of Ireland 31%, P<0.001), medications review (Northern Ireland 54%; Republic of Ireland 19%, P<0.001), and for discharge-rehabilitation planning (Northern Ireland 83%; Republic of Ireland 8%, P<0.001). Preadmission prescription of advised cardiovascular medications was similar between regions for antihypertensives and anticoagulants but significantly higher in Northern Ireland for antiplatelets (Northern Ireland 65%; Republic of Ireland 38%, P=0.001) and lipid-regulating medication (Northern Ireland 44%; Republic of Ireland 26%; P=0.006). Prescribing levels increased in both regions and all medication categories by discharge but with significantly lower levels in Northern Ireland for antihypertensives (Northern Ireland 60%; Republic of Ireland 75%, P=0.025). Northern Ireland patients were more functionally dependent (mean Barthel Index 10.5 versus 12.7 [Republic of Ireland], P=0.013) and less aphasic (mean Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test 17.8 versus 16.8 [Republic of Ireland], P=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: In similar neighboring acute stroke populations, differing healthcare policies were associated with significant differences in processes of patient care. Policy reform is an important tool in ensuring optimal stroke care delivery.
Stroke Presentation and Hospital Management: Comparison of Neighbouring Healthcare Systems with Differing Health Policies

Crawford VLS, Dinsmore J, Stout RW, Donellan C, O'Neill D, McGee H

Stroke. 04/2009; 40:2143 - 2148.

Background and Purpose— Acute stroke care is shaped by healthcare policies. Differing policies in similar populations allow for assessment of policy impact on health and healthcare outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare stroke presentation and hospital care in two adjacent healthcare sys... [more] Background and Purpose— Acute stroke care is shaped by healthcare policies. Differing policies in similar populations allow for assessment of policy impact on health and healthcare outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare stroke presentation and hospital care in two adjacent healthcare systems with differing healthcare policies. Methods— Interviews and chart review of consecutive acute stroke admissions in Northern Ireland (n=103) and the Republic of Ireland (n=100). Results— Marked regional contrasts were evident for key aspects of hospital care. Northern Ireland performed significantly better on 15 of 16 quality of care (Sentinel Audit) items. Delivery on standards was significantly better in Northern Ireland for early assessment (Northern Ireland 72%; Republic of Ireland 54%, P<0.01), multidisciplinary review (Northern Ireland 69%; Republic of Ireland 31%, P<0.001), medications review (Northern Ireland 54%; Republic of Ireland 19%, P<0.001), and for discharge-rehabilitation planning (Northern Ireland 83%; Republic of Ireland 8%, P<0.001). Preadmission prescription of advised cardiovascular medications was similar between regions for antihypertensives and anticoagulants but significantly higher in Northern Ireland for antiplatelets (Northern Ireland 65%; Republic of Ireland 38%, P=0.001) and lipid-regulating medication (Northern Ireland 44%; Republic of Ireland 26%; P=0.006). Prescribing levels increased in both regions and all medication categories by discharge but with significantly lower levels in Northern Ireland for antihypertensives (Northern Ireland 60%; Republic of Ireland 75%, P=0.025). Northern Ireland patients were more functionally dependent (mean Barthel Index 10.5 versus 12.7 [Republic of Ireland], P=0.013) and less aphasic (mean Frenchay Aphasia Screening Test 17.8 versus 16.8 [Republic of Ireland], P=0.022). Conclusions— In similar neighboring acute stroke populations, differing healthcare policies were associated with significant differences in processes of patient care. Policy reform is an important tool in ensuring optimal stroke care delivery.

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