Stewart W Mercer
Biographic Data
| ID | 1406510 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Stewart W Mercer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Stewart W |
| FAMILY NAME | Mercer |
| SIGNATURE | MERCER S W |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Edinburgh |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1703-3664 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 35 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 21 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 35 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1986 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Towards an Inclusive Research Framework for People Experiencing Homelessness
Individuals experiencing homelessness face significant health inequalities. They are often met with stigma and exclusion in everyday life, including in health and social care settings. As a result of this marginalisation, homeless populations can be unfairly labelled as ‘hard to reach’ and misrepresented in research. Public health research increasingly aims to address health inequalities by engaging vulnerable and excluded groups in the research …
Excluded by design
Innovations, especially those involving digital technologies, are expanding rapidly in health and social care in many countries around the world, but the extent to which the needs of underserved populations are considered is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore if and how socioeconomic health inequalities are considered in the design and delivery of health and social care innovations in the United Kingdom. A qualitative study using 23 se…
Has the new GP contract in Scotland reduced health inequalities? Qualitative evaluation of the views of general practitioners working in deprived areas
The new Scottish General Practice contract has not achieved its aim of reducing health inequalities, according to General Practitioners working in deprived areas. Future iterations of the contract need to implement changes that will tackle the inverse care law and thus help reduce inequalities in health
The Multimorbidity Questionnaire (MMQ1)
The English-language MMQ1 demonstrated adequate psychometric properties using classical test theory. Further validation using Rasch analysis is planned, and may help optimise and abbreviate the measure. This PROM has the potential to improve the measurement of QOL in MLTC research, including trials
The Role of Place in Social Prescribing
Introduction: Social prescribing seeks to connect people to community‐based resources, to improve their health and wellbeing. It is often framed as a response to health inequalities. However, the impact of place‐based differences is seldom considered. As social prescribing depends on local resources, this is a significant knowledge gap. This review aims to examine the extent to which social prescribing research to date has engaged with places and…
Mapping Variation in Delivery Models and Data Recording of Primary Care Social Prescribing Link Worker (SPLW) Schemes Across Five Regions in England and Scotland
Social prescribing link workers (SPLWs) connect people to community resources for better health and well‐being. Over the past decade, SPLW schemes have expanded rapidly in NHS primary care in England and Scotland. However, how these schemes have been implemented and assessed in different parts of England and Scotland is not well understood. A mapping exercise of SPLW schemes in three English and two Scottish regions was undertaken to identify ser…
Impact of household characteristics on patient outcomes post hip fracture
Hip fracture patients who live alone have higher one-year mortality, but associations are explained by the demographic and clinical characteristics of those living alone. However, living alone or living with a co-resident with dementia was independently associated with an additional doubling of the risk of care home admission. Household-based approaches to research and health policy may help target risk groups following hip fracture community dis…
Multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure on medicine in Europe
Background Many European Health Systems are implementing or increasing levels of cost-sharing for medicine in response to the growing constrains on public spending on health despite their negative impact on population health due to delay in seeking care. Objective This study aims to examine the relationships between multimorbidity (two or more coexisting chronic diseases, CDs), complex multimorbidity (three or more CDs impacting at least three di…
Determinants of post-Covid-19 symptoms among adults aged 55 or above with chronic conditions in primary care
Background: Primary care patients, especially those with an older age, are one of the most vulnerable populations for post-COVID-19 symptoms. Identifying predictors of post-COVID symptoms can help identify high-risk individuals for preventive care. Methods: Out of 977 primary care patients aged 55 years or above with comorbid physical and psychosocial conditions in a prospective cohort in Hong Kong, 207 patients infected in the previous 5-24 week…
A comparative overview of health and social care policy for older people in England and Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)
BACKGROUND: Responsibility for health and social care was devolved to Scotland in 1999 with evidence of diverging policy and organisation of care compared to England. This paper provides a comparative overview of major health and social care policies in England and Scotland published between 2011 and 2023 relating to the care of older people. METHODS: We searched United Kingdom (UK) and Scotland government websites for macro-level policy document…
Mindfulness for people with chronic pain
INTRODUCTION: Chronic pain is a common, multifactorial condition and pharmacological treatments have limited benefits. Mindfulness is a holistic approach that might be of value in the management of chronic pain. However, attrition rates from mindfulness-based interventions are high and factors affecting engagement are unknown. The aim of this study was to inform the design of a mindfulness programme that would be accessible and acceptable for peo…
Childhood health and educational disadvantage are associated with adult multimorbidity in the global south
INTRODUCTION: Multimorbidity has emerged as a major healthcare challenge in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) such as India and Brazil. Life course epidemiology suggests that adverse events in early life contribute to an individual's later health in adulthood. However, little is known about the influence of early life health and social factors on the development of multimorbidity in adulthood in LMICs. We aimed to explore the association of adu…
Multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines in China and India
INTRODUCTION: Using nationally representative survey data from China and India, this study examined (1) the distribution and patterns of multimorbidity in relation to socioeconomic status and (2) association between multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for medicines by socioeconomic groups. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of adult population aged 45 years and older from WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) India 2015…
Healthcare needs, experiences and treatment burden in primary care patients with multimorbidity
BACKGROUND: Patients with multimorbidity often experience treatment burden as a result of fragmented, specialist-driven healthcare. The 'family doctor team' is an emerging service model in China to address the increasing need for high-quality routine primary care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the extent to which treatment burden was associated with healthcare needs and patients' experiences. METHODS: Multisite surveys were conducted in …
Using self‐determination theory in research and evaluation in primary care
Association of Oral Health with Multimorbidity among Older Adults
India is witnessing an increase in the prevalence of multimorbidity. Oral health is related to overall health but is seldom included in the assessment of multimorbidity. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of oral morbidity and explore its association with physical multimorbidity using data from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI). LASI is a nationwide survey amongst adults aged ≥ 45 years conducted in 2018. Descriptive analy…
The association between mental-physical multimorbidity and disability, work productivity, and social participation in China
Mental-physical multimorbidity poses substantial negative health and economic effects on individuals, health systems, and societies. More research that addresses the challenges of mental-physical multimorbidity is needed to inform the development of interventions that can be applied to the workplace and the wider community in China
"I'm empowered to look after myself" - Mindfulness as a way to manage chronic pain
Global, regional, and national estimates of the population at increased risk of severe Covid-19 due to underlying health conditions in 2020
BACKGROUND: The risk of severe COVID-19 if an individual becomes infected is known to be higher in older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. Understanding the number of individuals at increased risk of severe COVID-19 and how this varies between countries should inform the design of possible strategies to shield or vaccinate those at highest risk. METHODS: We estimated the number of individuals at increased risk of severe dis…
Impact of Covid-19 on loneliness, mental health, and health service utilisation
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the psychological health and health service utilisation of older adults with multimorbidity, who are particularly vulnerable. AIM: To describe changes in loneliness, mental health problems, and attendance to scheduled medical care before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND SETTING: Telephone survey on a pre-existing cohort of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care. METH…
Physical multimorbidity, health service use, and catastrophic health expenditure by socioeconomic groups in China
BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more mental or physical chronic non-communicable diseases, is a major challenge for the health system in China, which faces unprecedented ageing of its population. Here we examined the distribution of physical multimorbidity in relation to socioeconomic status; the association between physical multimorbidity, health-care service use, and catastrophic health expenditures; and whether these associa…
Patients with more comorbidities have better detection of chronic conditions, but poorer management and control
Patients with more comorbidities have better diagnosis of chronic conditions, but this does not translate into better management and control of these conditions. Patients with multiple NCDs are high users of health services and are at an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Hence, improving their access to care is a priority for healthcare systems
Defining and measuring multimorbidity
Health benefits of primary care social work for adults with complex health and social needs
EHealth advances in support of people with complex care needs
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)
Psychosocial distress of Tibetans in exile
Cultural and Spiritual Constructions of Mental Distress and Associated Coping Mechanisms of Tibetans in Exile
Cultural and Spiritual Constructions of Mental Distress and Associated Coping Mechanisms of Tibetans in Exile: Implications for Western Interventions Eshani Ruwanpura, Eshani Ruwanpura Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Stewart W. Mercer, Stewart W. Mercer Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Alastair Ager, Alastair Ager Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Acad…
Measuring the Impact of Rehabilitation Services on the Quality of Life of Disabled People in Cambodia
The present study aimed to measure the quality of life (QOL) of disabled people in Cambodia and the impact of rehabilitation services. The categories of services were: physical rehabilitation (prosthetics/orthotics with physiotherapy); community-based rehabilitation; and (3) labour market assistance. The 164 respondents were from a range of urban and rural settings. The results suggest that QOL was substantially lower among disabled Cambodians wh…
Nocturnal penile tumescence and serum testosterone levels
"I'm empowered to look after myself" - Mindfulness as a way to manage chronic pain
Nocturnal penile tumescence and serum testosterone levels
Measuring the Impact of Rehabilitation Services on the Quality of Life of Disabled People in Cambodia
The present study aimed to measure the quality of life (QOL) of disabled people in Cambodia and the impact of rehabilitation services. The categories of services were: physical rehabilitation (prosthetics/orthotics with physiotherapy); community-based rehabilitation; and (3) labour market assistance. The 164 respondents were from a range of urban and rural settings. The results suggest that QOL was substantially lower among disabled Cambodians wh…
Psychosocial distress of Tibetans in exile
Cultural and Spiritual Constructions of Mental Distress and Associated Coping Mechanisms of Tibetans in Exile
Cultural and Spiritual Constructions of Mental Distress and Associated Coping Mechanisms of Tibetans in Exile: Implications for Western Interventions Eshani Ruwanpura, Eshani Ruwanpura Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Stewart W. Mercer, Stewart W. Mercer Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Alastair Ager, Alastair Ager Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Acad…
The influence of multi-morbidity and self-reported socio-economic standing on the prevalence of depression in an elderly Hong Kong population
In this elderly Hong Kong population, depression prevalence rose markedly with number of chronic medical conditions and SES-HK and SES-COM
Lives in Exile
Lives in Exile is a well researched and eloquently written book about the plight of Tibetan refugees living in exile in Dharamsala, north India. On one level, the book can be read simply as a treatise on the plight of Tibetans since the Chinese invasion of Tibet over 50 years ago, and the flight of the Dalai Lama and his followers to Dharamsala in 1959. Much of the book is devoted to excerpts from interviews that the author carried out over an ex…
Epidemiology of multimorbidity and implications for health care, research, and medical education
Double trouble
PW_HRQoL decreases markedly with multimorbidity, and is exacerbated by higher deprivation and younger age. There is a need to prioritise interventions to improve the HRQoL for (especially younger) adults with multimorbidity in deprived areas. BOX 1: What Is Known?Prevalence and premature onset of multimorbidity increases as socioeconomic position worsens. Previous studies have investigated the effect of multimorbidity on Health Related Quality of…
Epidemiology of multimorbidity in China and implications for the healthcare system
BACKGROUND: China, like other countries, is facing a growing burden of chronic disease but the prevalence of multimorbidity and implications for the healthcare system have been little researched. We examined the epidemiology of multimorbidity in southern China in a large representative sample. The effects of multimorbidity and other factors on usual source of healthcare were also examined. METHODS: We conducted a large cross-sectional survey amon…
How Does Sex Influence Multimorbidity? Secondary Analysis of a Large Nationally Representative Dataset
Multimorbidity increases with age and is generally more common in women, but little is known about sex effects on the "typology" of multimorbidity. We have characterized multimorbidity in a large nationally representative primary care dataset in terms of sex in ten year age groups from 25 years to 75 years and over, in a cross-sectional analysis of multimorbidity type (physical-only, mental-only, mixed physical and mental; and commonest condition…
EHealth advances in support of people with complex care needs
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)
Health benefits of primary care social work for adults with complex health and social needs
Defining and measuring multimorbidity
Global, regional, and national estimates of the population at increased risk of severe Covid-19 due to underlying health conditions in 2020
BACKGROUND: The risk of severe COVID-19 if an individual becomes infected is known to be higher in older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. Understanding the number of individuals at increased risk of severe COVID-19 and how this varies between countries should inform the design of possible strategies to shield or vaccinate those at highest risk. METHODS: We estimated the number of individuals at increased risk of severe dis…
Impact of Covid-19 on loneliness, mental health, and health service utilisation
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the psychological health and health service utilisation of older adults with multimorbidity, who are particularly vulnerable. AIM: To describe changes in loneliness, mental health problems, and attendance to scheduled medical care before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND SETTING: Telephone survey on a pre-existing cohort of older adults with multimorbidity in primary care. METH…
Physical multimorbidity, health service use, and catastrophic health expenditure by socioeconomic groups in China
BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more mental or physical chronic non-communicable diseases, is a major challenge for the health system in China, which faces unprecedented ageing of its population. Here we examined the distribution of physical multimorbidity in relation to socioeconomic status; the association between physical multimorbidity, health-care service use, and catastrophic health expenditures; and whether these associa…
Patients with more comorbidities have better detection of chronic conditions, but poorer management and control
Patients with more comorbidities have better diagnosis of chronic conditions, but this does not translate into better management and control of these conditions. Patients with multiple NCDs are high users of health services and are at an increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Hence, improving their access to care is a priority for healthcare systems
Association of Oral Health with Multimorbidity among Older Adults
India is witnessing an increase in the prevalence of multimorbidity. Oral health is related to overall health but is seldom included in the assessment of multimorbidity. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of oral morbidity and explore its association with physical multimorbidity using data from Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI). LASI is a nationwide survey amongst adults aged ≥ 45 years conducted in 2018. Descriptive analy…
The association between mental-physical multimorbidity and disability, work productivity, and social participation in China
Mental-physical multimorbidity poses substantial negative health and economic effects on individuals, health systems, and societies. More research that addresses the challenges of mental-physical multimorbidity is needed to inform the development of interventions that can be applied to the workplace and the wider community in China
"I'm empowered to look after myself" - Mindfulness as a way to manage chronic pain
Multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure for medicines in China and India
INTRODUCTION: Using nationally representative survey data from China and India, this study examined (1) the distribution and patterns of multimorbidity in relation to socioeconomic status and (2) association between multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) for medicines by socioeconomic groups. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of adult population aged 45 years and older from WHO Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) India 2015…
Healthcare needs, experiences and treatment burden in primary care patients with multimorbidity
BACKGROUND: Patients with multimorbidity often experience treatment burden as a result of fragmented, specialist-driven healthcare. The 'family doctor team' is an emerging service model in China to address the increasing need for high-quality routine primary care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the extent to which treatment burden was associated with healthcare needs and patients' experiences. METHODS: Multisite surveys were conducted in …
Using self‐determination theory in research and evaluation in primary care
Multimorbidity and out-of-pocket expenditure on medicine in Europe
Background Many European Health Systems are implementing or increasing levels of cost-sharing for medicine in response to the growing constrains on public spending on health despite their negative impact on population health due to delay in seeking care. Objective This study aims to examine the relationships between multimorbidity (two or more coexisting chronic diseases, CDs), complex multimorbidity (three or more CDs impacting at least three di…
Determinants of post-Covid-19 symptoms among adults aged 55 or above with chronic conditions in primary care
Background: Primary care patients, especially those with an older age, are one of the most vulnerable populations for post-COVID-19 symptoms. Identifying predictors of post-COVID symptoms can help identify high-risk individuals for preventive care. Methods: Out of 977 primary care patients aged 55 years or above with comorbid physical and psychosocial conditions in a prospective cohort in Hong Kong, 207 patients infected in the previous 5-24 week…
Medicine (29 works) · Chronic Disease Management Strategies (21 works) · Environmental health (13 works) · Public health (12 works) · Health care (11 works) · Cross-sectional study (10 works) · Demography (10 works) · Psychiatry (10 works) · Population (9 works) · Gerontology (8 works)