Congratulations to Nazlı Sönmez (Assistant Professor of Management Science at ESMT Berlin, and London Business School PhD alumna), whose Wheeler Institute-funded research on shared medical appointments has been highly commended in The Financial Times’ research awards. The awards acknowledge research that addresses vital and sometimes overlooked societal and environmental issues.
‘Evidence from the First Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) Randomised Controlled Trial in India’ has been recognised in the category as ‘Best academic research with societal impact: publications and outreach that have influenced policy or practice.’ Supported by the Wheeler Institute, the research compares the impact on patient engagement of shared medical appointments with traditional one-on-one care models.
Patients with chronic diseases stands as the leading contributor to overwhelming congestion within healthcare systems, impacting both developing and developed countries, whilst being the primary catalyst for the relentless surge in healthcare expenses. The most economically disadvantaged populations, however, exhibit an elevated risk of tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and obesity and thus bear a disproportionate burden of chronic diseases over extended periods.
This research project seeks to unveil the distinctive impact of shared-medical appointments on engagement levels, not only within the confines of the appointment itself, but also in the aftermath – drawing critical comparisons with conventional one-on-one care models.
“Embracing shared medical appointments not only alleviates the overwhelming burden of chronic disease on healthcare systems but also proves to be a transformative solution – unlocking time efficiencies, expanding healthcare capacity and enhancing patient outcomes.”
Nazlı Sönmez
The research is authored by Nazlı Sönmez with Kamalini Ramdas, Department of Management Science and Operations at London Business School, Ryan Buell, Professor of Business Administration in the Technology and Operations Management Unit, Harvard Business School, Kavitha Srinivasan, Master of Surgery and Rengaraj Venkatesh at Aravind Eye Hospital – India as co-authors.
The Aravind Eye Hospital trial was also recognised by BBC World Service Health Check. Please click here to listen to the broadcast.
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