
Dr Lorna Duncan
BSc, PhD, PGCE
Current positions
Honorary Research Fellow
Bristol Medical School (PHS)
Contact
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Research interests
Lorna began working at the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) in March 2011. Her current research interests include: complementary therapies, the appropriate use of antibiotics, the use of pharmacogenetics in primary care and the optimisation of healthcare provision. Other research interests include: alternative therapies, community services and the measurement of quality in healthcare. Lorna is currently working on four studies. She is the qualitative researcher on the pilot study of the use of Mistletoe in Breast Cancer (MAB). The aim of this study is to find whether mistletoe helps to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. It is widely used in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Lorna is also the qualitative researcher on the RAPID-TEST study. The RAPID-TEST is used to measure the levels of bacteria and viruses in patients visiting their GP with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The aim of this pilot study is to see whether it is helpful in diagnosing and treating URTIs. Lorna is also working on two reviews. One of these is a systematic review of the evidence available to support the use of pharmacogenetic testing in treatment decisions in primary care eg whether knowing a person’s genetic make-up can help GPs to prescribe an appropriate medication, at an appropriate dose.The other is a rapid review of the effectiveness of the new Primary Care hubs which are being used in England to give patients improved access to GPs.
Publications
Recent publications
01/11/2024Collaborative discussions between GPs and pharmacists to optimise patient medication
British Journal of General Practice
The Introspective Patient Experience of Mistletoe Therapy in Cancer
Integrative cancer therapies
"If we use the strength of diversity among researchers we can only improve the quality and impact of our research": Issues of equality, diversity, inclusion, and transparency in the process of applying for research funding
"If we use the strength of diversity among researchers we can only improve the quality and impact of our research": Issues of equality, diversity, inclusion, and transparency in the process of applying for research funding
Assessment and Treatment of Nocturia in Endocrine Disease in a Primary Care Setting:
European Urology Focus
Improving Medicines use in People with Polypharmacy in Primary Care (IMPPP): Protocol for a multicentre cluster randomised trial comparing a complex intervention for medication optimization against usual care [version 1; peer review: 1 approved]
NIHR Open Research