Overview

Since studying for a BSc in Psychology and a MSc in Psychological Research Methods, Annie has worked in health and social care research for almost 20 years at the University of Oxford, the University of Exeter, and for the NHS. She has held a variety of roles, from promoting the use of research in Social Services to a post as Lecturer in Health Services Research for a NHS Research and Development Unit.

Over the last 10 years her research has been focused in health economics, taking up post as a Research Fellow in Health Economics at the University of Exeter five years ago, and being recently promoted to Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics. She has recently completed her PhD in Health Economics; 'Multiple Sclerosis and Health State Values'.

Broad research specialisms

Annie's current research concerns health outcomes associated with Multiple Sclerosis which are suitable for use in economic evaluations. She is also exploring the resource use and costs of health and social care related to MS. For both strands of work, she is utilising data from the South West Impact of MS (SWIMS) prospective, longitudinal cohort study. She is also focussing on the health-related quality of life and costs of care for people with Huntington's Disease. In addition, Annie has collaborated with colleagues in PenCRU, exploring the costs and benefits of a peer-support programme for parents of disabled children and with the Patient and Public Involvement Team to involve service users in health economics research.

Amongst other studies, she has also investigated the cost-effectiveness of community rehabilitation services for older people on discharge from hospital; the cost-effectiveness of community mentoring for socially isolated older people and; the relationship between social isolation and health state values in older people.

Qualifications

• BSc Psychology
• MSc Psychological Research Methods
• PhD Health Economics

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Research

Research interests

Annie's research interests are diverse and methodological, ranging from health economics, to qualitative research, to patient and public involvement. She is particularly interested in how different methods can be used together in complementary and informative ways.

She is currently exploring health outcomes of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which are suitable for use in economic evaluations of treatments for MS. This work includes analysis of the appropriateness of generic preference-based measures (the EQ-5D and SF-6D) for people with MS; ‘mapping’ from MS-specific non-preference based measures to preference-based measures and the suitability of this technique; and the detailed description of health state values of the health states of people with MS from a prospective, longitudinal cohort study (SWIMS), in a manner suitable for use in cost-effectiveness analyses.

Research projects

• Health outcomes of people with Multiple Sclerosis suitable for use in economic evaluations.
• Health and social care resource use of people with Multiple Sclerosis.
• Health outcomes of people with Huntington's Disease for use in health policy decision-making.
• The costs and benefits of a peer support intervention for parents of disabled children.
• Exercise and self-management for people with chronic knee, hip or lower back pain: A study of clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Grants/Funding

• Goodwin E, Green C, Hawton A. Extending the evidence on QALYs in MS-related research/policy, and on the framework for cost-effectiveness analyses in the context of MS. MS Society. £165,178.
• Freeman J, Hendrie W, Jarrett L, Creanor S, Hawton A, Barton A, Marsden J, Zajicek J. A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a home-based self-management standing frame programme in people with progressive MS. Research for Patient Benefit. £346,000.
• Richards SH, Campbell JK, Dickens A, Greaves C, Green C, Hawton A, Taylor R. Partnerships for Older People Project Evaluation (POPPs): An economic evaluation of community mentoring (Devon Ageing & Quality of Life Study). Devon County Council and the Department of Health. £160,000.
• Richards SH, Campbell JK, Dickens A, Greaves C, Green C, Hawton A, Taylor R. Devon Linkage Pilot Project - evaluating the effectiveness of community mentoring (Devon Ageing & Quality of Life Study). Devon County Council and Department of Work & Pensions. £130,000.
• Hopper H, Ellis A. A qualitative investigation of the practical and psychological issues of women using a First Trimester Screening Clinic. Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. £2,500.
• Newson J, Ellis A. ATME: A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing Atrauman and Mepitel for wound healing. Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust. £2,500.
• Ellis A, Greaves C. Evaluation of the development of a 'Medicines Support Service' for older people. PCT/Social Services collaborative. £14,000.
• Britten N, Wyatt K, Purtell R, Barnard A, Ellis A. Evaluation of consumer involvement in the London Primary Care Studies Programme. INVOLVE. £140,000.
• Trappes-Lomax T, Ellis A. Expansion to 'Buying Time'. Centre for Evidence-Based Social Services (CEBSS). £16,000.
• Trappes-Lomax T, Ellis A, Downing K, Stead J. The User Voice: An exploration of the views of users about their stay in a short-term residential rehabilitation unit. NHS Executive South West. £15,000.
• Trappes-Lomax T, Ellis A. The User Voice II & III. Centre for Evidence-Based Social Services. £14,000.

Research grants

• 2014 NIHR Research for Patient Benefit
  A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a home-based self-management standing frame programme in people with progressive MS
• 2014 Multiple Sclerosis Society
  Extending the evidence on QALYs in MS-related research/policy, and on the framework for cost-effectiveness analyses in the context of MS
• 2007 Department of Health
  Partnerships for Older People Project Evaluation (POPPs): An economic evaluation of community mentoring (Devon Ageing & Quality of Life Study)

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Publications

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External Engagement and Impact

Invited lectures

Developing methods for the economic evaluation of treatments for people with Multiple Sclerosis. MS Frontiers, Multiple Sclerosis Society conference, London, June 2011

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Teaching

• Development and delivery of the following workshops for health service researchers and health and social care professionals:
  • ‘Introduction to Economic Evaluation’;
  • ‘Economic evaluation: Introduction to the EQ-5D, SF-6D and SF-12’;
  • ‘Counting the costs. Economic analysis: Introduction to the collection and costing of health care resource use data’.

Modules

2023/24

Information not currently available

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