The research programme Patricia Grocott leads involves Co-Designing Medical Devices and Technologies with people who are vulnerable to skin breakdown. The focus is on using individuals’ experiences of devices and healthcare systems to identify shortfalls and to work with device users, designers, engineers, materials specialists and industry to co-design devices and systems to meet personal needs and the needs of health care providers.

The programme includes co-creating and validating digital patient recorded outcome indicators and platforms for remote patient and clinician monitoring of recovery and deterioration in response to treatment and care, to enable troubleshooting interventions and routine data capture.

Evaluation of the performance and costs of novel devices is included in the programme using an N-of-1 research design to answer critical questions as to how, why, why not devices meet patients’ needs. Those that fall short of the standard defined in the patient recorded outcome indicators can be refined.

Patricia’s background is in hospice–based clinical nursing. The lack of suitable technologies and systems to care for patients with extensive skin breakdown in palliative and end of life care led to her academic, translational research career at King’s.

Enquiring about potential PhD supervision

If you’re thinking of applying for one of our PhD programmes and are looking for potential supervisors, please email nmpc_pgr_enquiries@kcl.ac.uk listing the names of the supervisors you’ve identified as having expertise in your chosen area, along with your CV and a short research proposal. 

Our Postgraduate Research Team will contact supervisors on your behalf and get back to you. If you have any queries in the meantime, please use the email address above, rather than contacting potential PhD supervisors directly, because they are unable to respond to initial enquiries.

Research profile