Abstract

I focus on two UK-based studies concerned with health and care technologies: the first on remote consultations (funded by the National Institute for Health Research) and the second on assisted living technologies (funded by the Wellcome Trust). Both are designed as multi-level studies, informed by action research. This involves us studying micro level interactions (e.g. between nurse and patient via remote consultations in a London diabetic clinic), alongside working with local health and care practitioners and organisations to develop local services (e.g. considering the potential roll out of remote consultations across National Health Service Trust) and linking with national-level, public and private sector decision-makers to identify and address potential blocks in the system (e.g. regarding reimbursement). I draw out the challenges of moving betwixt and between the different levels of the study; collecting and evaluating different kinds of data (e.g. interviews, observations, audit) and identifying and working with different kinds of decision-makers to try to shape and enable change appropriately. Lastly, I consider the ways in which the kinds of collaborative research that we do is (and perhaps isn't) valued within academia.