Why I'm looking forward to this year's HSRN symposium

It’s the week before HSRN symposium (http://www.hsrnsymposium.co.uk) and I will go with a sense of excitement, anticipation – and a heavy heart.  I know in advance I will not get to see all the sessions I want.  There are too many difficult choices.   But what a good dilemma to have.

In every parallel session, the presentations (shortlisted from a wider pool) promise fascinating insights into the pressing problems facing those using, working in and leading services today.   Here are just a few of the ones which interest me:

·         What are patients’ experiences of single-room hospitals?
 
·         What factors influence patients having to come back for revision surgery?

·         How did whole system stroke changes in organisation play out?

·         What can the NHS learn from industrial safety cases?

·         Why are there such large differences in avoidable emergency admissions?

·         How can multidisciplinary team meetings be more effective?

·         Can physician assistants take the strain off GPs?

·         How do patient-reported outcome data affect performance in surgery?

·         How can hearing peoples’ life stories improve dementia care?

·         What did the early days of CCGs look like?

·         Can we measure harm more effectively?

·         What have we learned from the ambitious whole-region pay for performance schemes?

So, I go prepared to be disappointed.  But knowing that I will come back refreshed and stimulated from the presentations, conversations, exchanges and debate in the one must-go health services research event of the year.