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The University of Southampton

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Phone:: (023) 8120 5704
Email:: S.Brien@soton.ac.uk

Dr Sarah B Brien

Senior Research Advisor, Visiting Senior Research Fellow

Dr Sarah Brien joined Primary Care at the University of Southampton in 2000 where she currently holds two roles.

Within the RDS, Sarah is a senior research advisor providing qualitative, mixed methods and general research advice to researchers applying for NIHR funding streams and major charities. She also specifically leads on supporting those applying for NIHR Fellowship awards.

Additionally Sarah is also visiting senior research fellow within Primary Care. She has been involved in research at Primary Care at Southampton University exploring self-management of people living with long term conditions. Her current research study is entitled Exploring determinants of quality of life in people with COPD. She has experience leading quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research studies. She has a particular interest in the role of complementary and alternative medicine in the management of long term conditions, being awarded an NIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship (2004-2008) within this area.

Sarah’s research interests have mainly focussed on how people manage living with long term conditions. She is also interested in the field of medical education.

Currently a senior research advisor for the RDS South Central as senior qualitative advisor and lead for Fellowship applications.

Additionally honorary senior research fellow with Primary Care and Population Sciences with 2 current research studies, as well as PhD supervisor.

Research

Responsibilities

Publications

Contact

Research interests

Sarah’s research interests have mainly focussed on how people manage living with long term conditions. She is also interested in the field of medical education.

As principle investigator, Sarah has conducted and led exploratory clinical trials as well as embedded and stand-alone qualitative studies as lead investigator. She is experienced in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research

PhD supervision:

One current PhD student

Past: 3 completed PhD students to completion and >15 Msc students

Research projects

Independent determinants of health related quality of life in people with COPD. An exploratory cross sectional postal questionnaire study in stable COPD patients to inform subsequent non-pharmacological interventions.

Lead PI Dr Sarah Brien Co PI: Prof Mike Thomas, Prof Tony Kendrick, Dr Beth Stuart, Dr Rachel Jordan, Professor Peymane Adab, Professor David Fitzmaurice & Dr Andy Dickens

Funded: NIHR School for Primary Care Research

Completion: September 2015

Research group

Primary Care & Population Sciences

RDS: Senior research advisor for qualitative methodology

CONSULTANCY in medical research including study design; grant writing; conducting quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods analysis; conducting narrative and systematic literature reviews and academic writing. Interests are in clinical research and medical education

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Articles

Brien, S. B., Stuart, B., Dickens, A. P., Kendrick, T., Jordan, R. E., Adab, P., & Thomas, M. (2018). Independent determinants of disease-related quality of life in COPD - scope for non-pharmacological interventions? International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 247-256. DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S152955
Omer, S., Choi, S., Brien, S., & Parry, M. (2017). Log in to experiential learning theory: Supporting web-based faculty development. JMIR Medical Education, 3(2), [e16]. DOI: 10.2196/mededu.7939
Brien, S., Lewith, G., & Thomas, M. (2016). Patient coping strategies in COPD across disease severity and quality of life: a qualitative study. npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/npjpcrm.2016.51
Eardley, S., Brien, S., Little, P., Prescott, P., & Lewith, G. (2013). Professional kinesiology practice for chronic low back pain: single-blind, randomised controlled pilot study. Complementary Medicine Research: Practice, Methods, Perspectives, 20(3), 180-188. DOI: 10.1159/000346291
Eyles, C., Leydon, G. M., & Brien, S. B. (2012). Forming connections in the homeopathic consultation. Patient Education and Counseling, 89(3), 501-506. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2012.02.004
Brien, S. B., Leydon, G. M., & Lewith, G. (2012). Homeopathy enables Rheumatoid Arthritis patients to cope with their chronic ill health: a qualitative study of patient's perceptions of the homeopathic consultation. Patient Education and Counselling, 89(3), 507-516. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2011.11.008
Brien, S. B., Harrison, H., Daniels, J., & Lewith, G. (2012). Monitoring improvement in health during homeopathic intervention. Development of an assessment tool based on Hering's Law of Cure: the Hering's Law Assessment Tool (HELAT). Homeopathy, 101(1), 28-37. DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2011.10.002
Brien, S., Lachance, L., Prescott, P., McDermott, C., & Lewith, G. (2011). Comment on: Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the homeopathic remedy: a randomized controlled trial: reply. Rheumatology, 50(8), 1531-1532. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/ker115
Brien, S., Bishop, F. L., Riggs, K., Stevenson, D., Freire, V., & Lewith, G. T. (2011). Integrated medicine in the management of chronic illness: a qualitative study. British Journal of General Practice, 61(583), e89-e96. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp11X556254
Eyles, C., Leydon, G. M., Lewith, G. T., & Brien, S. (2010). A grounded theory study of homeopathic practitioners' perceptions and experiences of the homeopathic consultation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , 2011, 1-12. DOI: 10.1155/2011/957506
Brien, S., Lachance, L., Prescott, P., McDermott, C., & Lewith, G. (2010). Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the homeopathic remedy. A randomized controlled clinical trial. Rheumatology, 50, 1070-1082. DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keq234
Lachance, L. L., Hawthorne, V., Brien, S. M. E., Hyland, M. E., Lewith, G. T., Verhoef, M. J., ... Zick, S. (2009). Delphi-derived development of a common core for measuring complementary and alternative medicine prevalence. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 489-494. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2008.0430
Eyles, C., Walker, J., & Brien, S. (2009). Homeopathic practitioners' experiences of the homeopathic consultation: A protocol of a grounded theory study. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(4), 347-352. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2008.0105
Brien, S., Prescott, P., & Lewith, G. (2009). Meta-analysis of the related nutritional supplements dimethyl sulfoxide and methylsulfonylmethane in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , 1-10. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nep045
Lewith, G., Brien, S., Barlow, F., Eyles, C., Flower, A., Hall, S., ... Hopwood, V. (2009). The meaning of evidence: can practitioners be researchers? Complementary Medicine Research, 16(5), 343-347. DOI: 10.1159/000235542
Brien, S., Dibb, B., & Burch, A. (2009). The use of intuition in homeopathic clinical decision making: an interpretative phenomenological study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , 1-8. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nep153
Hall, S., Lewith, G., Brien, S., & Little, P. (2008). A review of the literature in applied and specialised kinesiology. Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 15(1), 40-46. DOI: 10.1159/000112820
Hall, S., Lewith, G., Brien, S., & Little, P. (2008). An exploratory pilot study to design and assess the credibility of a Sham kinesiology treatment. Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 15, 321-326. DOI: 10.1159/000170401
Brien, S., Prescott, P., Coghlan, B., Bashir, N., & Lewith, G. (2008). Systematic review of the nutritional supplement Perna Canaliculus (green-lipped mussel) in the treatment of osteoarthritis. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 101(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcm108
Brien, S., Prescott, P., Bashir, N., Lewith, H., & Lewith, G. (2008). Systematic review of the nutritional supplements Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and Methlsufonylmethane (MSM) in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 16(11), 1277-1288. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2008.03.002
Burch, A. L., & Dibb, B. (2008). Understanding homeopathic decision-making: a qualitative study. Complementary Medicine Research, 15(4), 218-225. DOI: 10.1159/000138511
Brien, S., Howells, E., Leydon, G. M., & Lewith, G. (2008). Why GPs refer patients to complementary medicine via the NHS: a qualitative exploration. Primary Health Care Research & Development, 9(3), 205-215. DOI: 10.1017/S1463423608000789
Haidvogl, M., Riley, D., Brien, S., Jong, M., Fischer, M., & Lewith, G. (2007). A homeopathic and conventional treatment for acute respiratory and ear complaints: a comparative study on outcome in a primary care setting. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 7(2), 7-18. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-7-7
Brien, S., Lewith, G., Walker, A. F., Middleton, R., Prescott, P., & Bundy, R. (2006). Bromelain as an adjunctive treatment for moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. QJM: An International Journal of Medicine, 99(12), 841-850. DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcl118
Lachance, L., Zick, S., Hawthorne, V., Brien, S. M. E., Hyland, M. E., Lewith, G., & Warber, S. (2006). Delphi Process for developing a common epidemiologic core for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Prevalence. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 12(3), 55-6.
Brien, S., Lewith, G. T., & McGregor, G. (2006). Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) as a treatment for osteoarthritis: a review of efficacy and safety. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12(10), 981-993. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2006.12.981
Steinsbekk, A., Bentzen, N., & Brien, S. (2006). Why do parents take their children to homeopaths? -- an exploratory qualitative study. Research in Complementary and Classical Natural Medicine, 13(2), 88-93. DOI: 10.1159/000092004
Brien, S., & Lewith, G. (2005). Assessing homeopathic proving using questionnaire methodology: consideration and implications for future studies. Research in Complementary and Classical Natural Medicine, 12(3), 152-158. DOI: 10.1159/000084837
McGregor, G., Fiebich, B., Wartenberg, A., Brien, S., Lewith, G., & Wegener, T. (2005). Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum procumbens): an anti-inflammatory herb with therapeutic potential. Phytochemistry Reviews, 4(1), 47 -53. DOI: 10.1007/s11101-004-2374-8
Lewith, G. T., Brien, S., & Hyland, M. E. (2005). Presentiment or entanglement? An alternative explanation for apparent entanglement in provings. Homeopathy, 94(2), 92 -95. DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2005.02.005
Brien, S., Lachance, L., & Lewith, G. T. (2004). Are the therapeutic effects of homeopathy attributed to the consultation, the homeopathic remedy, or both? A protocol for a future exploratory feasibility trial in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(3), 499-502. DOI: 10.1089/1075553041323768
Brien, S. (2004). Attitudes about complementary and alternative medicine did not predict outcome in a homeopathic proving trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(3), 503-505. DOI: 10.1089/1075553041323740
Brien, S., Lewith, G., Walker, A., Hicks, S. M., & Middleton, D. (2004). Bromelain as a treatment for osteoarthritis: a review of clinical studies. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine , 1(3), 251-257. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/neh035
Brien, S., Prescott, P., Owen, D., & Lewith, G. (2004). How do homeopaths make decisions? An exploratory study of inter-rater reliability and intuition in the decision making process. Homeopathy, 93(3), 125-131. DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2004.04.001
Brien, S., Lewith, G., & Bryant, T. (2003). Ultramolecular homeopathy has no observable clinical effects. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled proving trial of Belladonna 30C. British Journal of Pharmacology, 56(5), 562-568. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2003.01900.x
Brien, S., & Lewith, G. (2001). Why are you doctors? The importance of care and compassion. Clinical Medicine, 1(3), 223-226. DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.1-3-223
Bonner, A. B., & Brien, S. (1993). Affective disorders: Diurnal variations in kynurenine and neopterin metabolism. Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research , 24(4), 310-316. DOI: 10.1080/09291019309360256
Bonner, A. B., Brien, S., & Preedy, V. (1993). The urinary excretion of tryptophan and tryptophan metabolites in the chronic ethanol-fed rat. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 45(2), 81-85. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1993.tb03688.x

Book Chapter

Brien, S. (1996). The biological basis of eating disorders. In A. Bonner (Ed.), Addictive Behaviour: Molecules and Mankind (pp. 391-403). UK: MacMillan Press.

Report

Addington-Hall, J., Gerard, K., Brien, S., Brailsford, S. C., Salisbury, C., Heaney, D., ... Lattimer, V. (2013). Variations in out of hours end of life care provision across primary care organisations in England and Scotland. Final Report. NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation Programme. London, GB: HMSO.

Dr Sarah B Brien
Faculty of Medicine University of Southampton Southampton General Hospital South Academic Block Tremona Road Southampton SO16 6YD

Room Number: SGH/AC26/MP805

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