Northern Ireland Research Articles

Optimizing Oxford Shoulder Scores with computerized adaptive testing reduces redundancy while maintaining precision.

The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) is a 12-item measure commonly used for the assessment of shoulder surgeries. This study explores whether computerized adaptive testing (CAT) provides a shortened, individually tailored questionnaire while maintaining test accuracy. A total of 16,238 preoperative OSS were available in the National Joint Registry (NJR) for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the States of Guernsey dataset (April 2012 to April 2022). Prior to CAT, the foundational item response theory (IRT) assumptions of unidimensionality, monotonicity, and local independence were established. CAT compared sequential item selection with stopping criteria set at standard error (SE) < 0.32 and SE < 0.45 (equivalent to reliability coefficients of 0.90 and 0.80) to full-length patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) precision. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for unidimensionality exhibited satisfactory fit with root mean square standardized residual (RSMSR) of 0.06 (cut-off ≤ 0.08) but not with comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.85 or Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.82 (cut-off > 0.90). Monotonicity, measured by H value, yielded 0.482, signifying good monotonic trends. Local independence was generally met, with Yen's Q3 statistic > 0.2 for most items. The median item count for completing the CAT simulation with a SE of 0.32 was 3 (IQR 3 to 12), while for a SE of 0.45 it was 2 (IQR 2 to 6). This constituted only 25% and 16%, respectively, when compared to the 12-item full-length questionnaire. Calibrating IRT for the OSS has resulted in the development of an efficient and shortened CAT while maintaining accuracy and reliability. Through the reduction of redundant items and implementation of a standardized measurement scale, our study highlights a promising approach to alleviate time burden and potentially enhance compliance with these widely used outcome measures.

A regional approach to gynaecological laparoscopic simulation in Northern Ireland

A regional approach to gynaecological laparoscopic simulation in Northern Ireland

Determining the Key Education Priorities Related to Heart Failure Care in Nursing Homes: A Modified Delphi Approach.

There is currently a limited understanding of what nurses in nursing homes view as the key education priorities to support their ability to provide the appropriate care for residents with heart failure (HF). A modified Delphi technique was utilized to gain a consensus on the key education priorities for nurses working in nursing homes in Northern Ireland. An initial list of items (n = 58), across 19 domains, was generated using the findings of a scoping review and stakeholder interviews, and a review of available clinical guidelines. Two rounds of surveys were undertaken. Items were presented using a 5-point Likert scale, with an additional exercise in the second round to rank the domains in order of importance. Fifty-four participants completed the first-round survey and 34 (63%) returned to complete the second. The findings highlight the importance of providing nurses in nursing home settings with general HF education and the delivery of person-centered care. Participants perceived education around technology for the management of HF and quality improvement or research methodologies associated with HF in nursing homes as lower priorities. This study illuminates key priorities from nursing home nurses regarding HF education that are applicable to this care setting.

An analysis of the effect of the COVID-19-induced joint replacement deficit in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland suggests recovery will be protracted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision of arthroplasty services in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This study aimed to quantify the backlog, analyze national trends, and predict time to recovery. We performed an analysis of the mandatory prospective national registry of all independent and publicly funded hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, and ankle replacements in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland between January 2019 and December 2022 inclusive, totalling 729,642 operations. The deficit was calculated per year compared to a continuation of 2019 volume. Total deficit of cases between 2020 to 2022 was expressed as a percentage of 2019 volume. Sub-analyses were performed based on procedure type, country, and unit sector. Between January 2020 and December 2022, there was a deficit of 158,994 joint replacements. This is equivalent to over two-thirds of a year of normal expected operating activity (71.6%). There were 104,724 (-47.1%) fewer performed in 2020, 41,928 (-18.9%) fewer performed in 2021, and 12,342 (-5.6%) fewer performed in 2022, respectively, than in 2019. Independent-sector procedures increased to make it the predominant arthroplasty provider (53% in 2022). NHS activity was 73.2% of 2019 levels, while independent activity increased to 126.8%. Wales (-136.3%) and Northern Ireland (-121.3%) recorded deficits of more than a year's worth of procedures, substantially more than England (-66.7%). It would take until 2031 to eliminate this deficit with an immediate expansion of capacity over 2019 levels by 10%. The arthroplasty deficit following the COVID-19 pandemic is now equivalent to over two-thirds of a year of normal operating activity, and continues to increase. Patients awaiting different types of arthroplasty, in each country, have been affected disproportionately. A rapid and significant expansion in services is required to address the deficit, and will still take many years to rectify.

Patterns of antidepressant prescribing and health-related outcomes among older adults in Northern Ireland: an administrative data study

Objectives This study identifies patterns of antidepressant prescribing and subsequent hospital admissions from 2010 to 2018 amongst older adults in Northern Ireland (NI). Method Participants comprised all General Practitioner (GP)-registered adults aged fifty-five years and above on 01/01/2010 (n = 386,119). Administrative data linkage included demographic information; antidepressant prescribing data from the NI Enhanced Prescribing Database (EPD); and hospital patient admissions. Repeated measures latent class analysis (RMLCA) identified patterns of antidepressant prescribing (from 2010 to 2018). Results RMLCA identified four latent classes: decreasing antidepressant prescribing (5.9%); increasing antidepressant prescribing (8.0%); no-antidepressant prescribing (68.7%); and long-term antidepressant prescribing (17.5%). Compared with those in no-antidepressant prescribing class, persons in the remaining classes were more likely to be female and younger, and less likely to live in either rural areas or less-deprived areas. Compared with no-antidepressant prescribing, those with increasing antidepressant prescribing were 60% and 52% more likely to be admitted to hospital in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and their admission rate per year was 11% and 8% higher in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Similarly, those with long-term prescriptions were 70% and 67% more likely to be admitted to hospital in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and their admission rate per year was 14% and 9% higher in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Conclusion Findings show that approximately 26% of the NI hospital admissions population were impacted by sustained or increasing antidepressant prescribing. Because of their increased likelihood of hospitalization, these individuals may benefit from psychosocial support and social prescribing alternatives to psychopharmacological treatment.

Everyday Life in Great Britain and Poland During the Covid-19 Pandemic and Brexit

In recent years, everyday life and interpersonal relationships in a broad sense have been shaped by the SarsCov-2 pandemic and its extensive consequences – both on a local and on a global level. Other phenomena have made their presence felt at a local and global level too – Brexit, for example. In this article, based on research carried out in Poland, England and Northern Ireland in August and September 2021, we present various dimensions of everyday life and the relationships of migrants with people who are important to them in Poland – in the context of these two main processes. The results of our research indicate that the new circumstances affect the everyday lives of migrants and their relatives in Poland on various levels, such as routine activities, work, interpersonal relations, and transnational contacts. We have also identified the stages of these processes and the accompanying emotions, and the pandemic emerged as the leading theme, overshadowing Brexit.

Feasibility of in-home monitoring for people with glaucoma: the I-TRAC mixed-methods study.

Glaucoma is a chronic disease of the optic nerve and a leading cause of severe visual loss in the UK. Once patients have been diagnosed, they need regular monitoring at hospital eye services. Recent advances in technology mean patients with glaucoma can now monitor their disease at home. This could be more convenient for patients and potentially reduce costs and increase capacity for the NHS. However, it is uncertain whether self-monitoring would be acceptable or possible for patients with glaucoma. The objectives were to: identify which patients are most appropriate for home monitoring; understand views of key stakeholders (patients, clinicians, researchers) on whether home glaucoma monitoring is feasible and acceptable; develop a conceptual framework for the economic evaluation of home glaucoma monitoring; and explore the need for and provide evidence on the design of a future study to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of digital technologies for home monitoring of glaucoma. In-home Tracking of glaucoma: Reliability, Acceptability, and Cost (I-TRAC) was a multiphase mixed-methods feasibility study with key components informed by theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Expert glaucoma specialists in the UK recruited through professional glaucoma societies; study site staff and patient participants recruited through three UK hospital eye services (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland); and UK research teams recruited though existing networks. Home tonometer that measures intraocular pressure and a tablet computer with a visual function application. Patients were asked to use the technology weekly for 12 weeks. Forty-two patients were recruited. Retention and completion of follow-up procedures was successful, with 95% (n = 40) completing the 3-month follow-up clinic visits. Adherence to the interventions was generally high [adherence to both devices (i.e. ≥80% adherence) was 55%]. Overall, patients and healthcare professionals were cautiously optimistic about the acceptability of digital technologies for home monitoring of patients with glaucoma. While most clinicians were supportive of the potential advantages glaucoma home monitoring could offer, concerns about the technologies (e.g. reliability and potential to miss disease progression) and how they would fit into routine care need to be addressed. Additionally, clarity is required on defining the ideal population for this intervention. Plans for how to evaluate value for money in a future study were also identified. However, the study also highlighted several unknowns relating to core components of a future evaluative study that require addressing before progression to a definitive effectiveness trial. The main limitation relates to our sample and its generalisability, for example, the over-representation of educated persons of white ethnicity who were generally experienced with technology and research motivated. The In-home Tracking of glaucoma: Reliability, Acceptability, and Cost study has demonstrated 'cautious optimism' when considering patients' and healthcare professionals' views on the acceptability of digital technologies for home monitoring of patients with glaucoma. However, the study also highlighted several unknowns relating to the research question and design of a future evaluative study that require addressing before progression to a randomised controlled trial. Further research is required to determine the appropriate population (i.e. low vs. high risk of progression) and further refine the intervention components and delivery for planning of future evaluation studies. This study is registered as Research Registry #6213. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR129248) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 44. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

National health examination surveys; a source of critical data.

The aim of this paper is to contribute technical arguments to the debate about the importance of health examination surveys and their continued use during the post-pandemic health financing crisis, and in the context of a technological innovation boom that offers new ways of collecting and analysing individual health data (e.g. artificial intelligence). Technical considerations demonstrate that health examination surveys make an irreplaceable contribution to the local availability of primary health data that can be used in a range of further studies (e.g. normative, burden-of-disease, care cascade, cost and policy impact studies) essential for informing several phases of the health planning cycle (e.g. surveillance, prioritization, resource mobilization and policy development). Examples of the use of health examination survey data in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region (i.e. Finland, Italy, Malta and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and the WHO Region of the Americas (i.e. Chile, Mexico, Peru and the United States of America) are presented, and reasons why health provider-led data cannot replace health examination survey data are discussed (e.g. underestimation of morbidity and susceptibility to bias). In addition, the importance of having nationally representative random samples of the general population is highlighted and we argue that health examination surveys make a critical contribution to external quality control for a country's health system by increasing the transparency and accountability of health spending. Finally, we consider future technological advances that can improve survey fieldwork and suggest ways of ensuring health examination surveys are sustainable in low-resource settings.

The Real Problem with Constitutional Reform

Discussion of how the UK can remain coherent as a multinational state needs to focus not on what powers might be given away to the regions and nations but on how to facilitate a sharing of power between different parts of the UK. This article examines how far programmes for constitutional reform, including the Welsh Senedd’s document Reforming our Union and the Labour Party’s A New Britain, have recognised the need for power-sharing in their discussion of matters like the reform of the House of Lords and the role of the Supreme Court. The conclusion is that current views of the sovereignty of the Westminster Parliament are incompatible with any meaningful constitutional reform. To change this would require a willingness to have constitutional arrangements much closer to those of the European Union, the very organisation which the UK decided in 2016 that it wanted to leave. It would also require seeing Northern Ireland less as a ‘troublesome province’ which needs to have its own form of government, but as an example of how progress can be made through power-sharing.

Regional ambassadors or state agents? Representing Welsh interests in the British Parliament and Cabinet

ABSTRACT Despite devolution, the United Kingdom possesses no mechanism to represent its four nations at the state level. Consequently, some peripheral actors use their state representative positions to ‘stand up’ for Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. This paper explores this paradox by focussing on the descriptive and substantive representation of Wales in the Commons and the Cabinet between 1945 and 2019. We demonstrate that only one-third of Welsh backbenchers still adopt a role of ‘regional ambassador’ and that Welsh ministers tend to adopt the role of ‘state agent’. This research ratifies the radical disconnection between central and sub-state politics since devolution.

THE IMPACT OF BREXIT ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

The article analyzes Brexit as a factor influencing the Good Friday Agreement and the transformation of the peace process in Northern Ireland, as well as the relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is argued that Brexit poses a threat to the security of Ireland and the EU, since it undermines the foundations of the peace process in Northern Ireland and creates the likelihood that the border will be closed on the island of Ireland again. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 was based on the fact that both signatory states are members of the EU, and many of its provisions will not be implemented after Brexit. It has been proven that after Brexit, the most controversial issue was the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which became the external border of the EU. The border, which was heavily militarized during the conflict, became virtually invisible after its settlement, and people and goods freely cross it. This became possible largely because both Ireland and the UK were part of the EU single market, a common set of rules that ensures the free movement of goods, services, people and finances within the bloc.It is argued that the new relationship between the EU and the UK, which was agreed during 2020 and implemented from January 2021, resulted in an attempt to resolve the complex border issue, which was carried out in the Northern Ireland Protocol. The arrangements of the Northern Ireland Protocol, according to which Northern Ireland, but not the rest of the UK, remains within the framework of the EU single market for goods, make it possible to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The establishment of an open border was a key aspect of the Northern Ireland peace process and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended the conflict in Northern Ireland. It is shown that the Northern Ireland Protocol creates a de facto customs border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. Mainly to address the concerns of the DUP unionists about the Northern Ireland Protocol, in 2022-2023, the EU and the UK agreed on revised mechanisms for its operation – the Windsor Framework, which entered into force on March 24, 2023. The DUP refused to accept the Framework Program as meeting their interests until early 2024. Further adjustments to its work have not been agreed upon and the formation of a new Northern Ireland executive has not begun. It is proved that Brexit is becoming a new and significant factor in the unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland. Brexit has put the issue of the unification of Ireland at the top of the political agenda of both parts of Ireland. The majority of Northern Irish residents voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 UK referendum. Unification would give Northern Ireland, where both British and Irish citizens live, full EU citizenship.

No-campaigns in peace referendums

ABSTRACT Peace agreements can be more effective and durable when being supported by the broad public through a peace referendum. However, after some peace negotiations, No-campaigns succeeded in convincing voters that the peace in question was not the right solution. This study seeks to advance the discussion of campaign support in peace referendums by studying the design and content of No-campaigns, in relation to their Yes-counterparts, and their role in gathering support against peace agreements. We argue that No-campaigns can become a risk to peace agreements when they employ a coherent strategy where its different elements such as organisation, logistics, and methodologies are integrated cohesively, and where they offer a unified content in terms of the message addressed to the public. These two aims are more difficult to accomplish for Yes-campaigns. We study this argument for the cases of the peace referendums in Northern Ireland in 1998 and Colombia in 2016.

A qualitative exploration of the impact of educational social fields on mental health help-seeking in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.

In a study of post-primary students in Northern Ireland, Bourdieu's concepts of cultural capital, habitus and fields are used to explore attitudes towards help-seeking from general practitioners (GPs). Findings from Grammar and Secondary Modern School students are compared using the role of educational fields in influencing help-seeking behaviours for mental health problems. Focus groups were conducted of 54 students at 10 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, each consisting of 5-7 pupils, stratified by age (13-17years) and gender. The data were analysed thematically to assess attitudinal and belief patterns within school environments. Participants from both types of schools expressed reluctance to seek help from GPs for mental health concerns. However, the attitudes towards help seeking differ between grammar schools (GSs) and secondary modern schools with regards to (a) the act of help-seeking; (b) service knowledge and medical professionalism; and (c) trust and disclosure. The field of GSs appears to produce students who feel more able and, importantly, more entitled to mental health support from health professionals. While this apparent conference of cultural norms increases some individuals' access to services, work is required to build help-seeking pathways which are responsive to diverse young people.

“Activism is not a one-lane highway”: the digital modalities of Alliance for Choice and abortion decriminalisation

ABSTRACT In 2019, abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland (NI) after decades of campaigning against the almost-total ban. Abortion activists in NI used multiple tools for change, utilising a feminist law-making strategy that also encompassed ‘cheeky’ witnessing [Fletcher, R. (2020). Cheeky witnessing. Feminist Review, 124(1), 124–141. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141778919896342] and movement-building alongside mutual-aid approaches to care. This paper outlines the significant contribution of alternative creative modes of dialogue from the insider perspective of core Alliance for Choice activists. The key element of the campaign towards decriminalisation in NI, was inspired and influenced by the global networks of abortion campaigns also utilising digital networks to challenge problematic abortion discourse with an abundance of creative content. It also required daily visual online output that complimented and coalesced the wider campaign, in a digital space that [Butler, J. (2018). Notes toward a performative theory of assembly. Harvard University Press] contends is a version of the public street. This paper offers a unique insight into the creative production and careful navigation required for campaigning towards decriminalisation in the NI. It examines the complexity of the digital space and its challenges and opportunities for abortion activists. It offers lessons for other campaigns against abortion restrictions and other social justice movements.

What is meant by the term tertiary education? Past developments and recent activity

ABSTRACT The term tertiary education has gained prominence in recent policy debates in the UK [Morgan (2023). “Labour ‘would review whole landscape’ of tertiary education.” Times Higher Education, 28 November. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/labour-would-review-whole-landscape-tertiary-education]. This paper presents findings from a review of the use of the term in academic and policy papers in the UK over the last 80 years. The analysis reveals the role of international organisations in defining this term initially as a synonym for post-compulsory education before using it as a statistical measure which became a normative guide for many member states. More recently, the term tertiary education has been used as a descriptor of systems of educational governance and by the World Bank for specific systems of organisation. Using these definitions as a guide, the review demonstrates differences in government policy in the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Here there is evidence of periodic and partial policy change, but little sustained full engagement with this agenda. The review suggests that if future tertiary education policy initiatives are introduced they should cover all potential learners once they have left the compulsory phase of education and should be advanced by regional bodies with involvement from learners, employers and community representatives allocating funds from a single tertiary education budget.

Insights into the career development of non-religious teachers in post-primary religious schools on the island of Ireland

ABSTRACT This article investigates the lived experiences of non-religious teachers in post-primary schools with religious cultures on the island of Ireland, particularly with regard to career development and promotion. At the time of the research, both jurisdictions on the island had legal exceptions from equality employment law in schools. Based on 15 interviews with non-religious teachers and with reference to literature on school ethos, teacher beliefs and agency, we investigate how the professional experience of teachers is shaped by the religious environment. The predominant response of non-religious teachers in religious schools is to hide or suppress their worldview. There is evidence too that their relationships with colleagues and pupils are inhibited when the religious culture discourages openness and diversity. Overall, they have modest expectations for career development or promotion. We conclude that legislative change is an important corrective to reduce religious discrimination, but it is only part of the solution. Active steps should also be taken by schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland to cultivate an inclusive spirit in which the school is regarded as an ‘authentic community’ where difference is normalised and all teachers are empowered to have full participation in the life of the school.

GPs' use of video and telephone consultation - implications for physical activity promotion for older adults.

To understand how VC/TC have impacted on the routine promotion of PA to older adults in GPs consultations. A mixed method, cross-sectional study of GPs practice was conducted in Ireland and Northern Ireland in 2020. An online survey and interviews with GPs, explored awareness of PA guidelines, PA promotion during consultations to older adults (65+ years) and the impact on routine practice of moving to VC/TC during the pandemic. GPs from across the Island of Ireland agreed that PA promotion is part of routine practice. Analysis of interviews with GPs highlighted a need to develop practitioners' knowledge of the guidelines and themes emerged around the use of VC/TC In routine practice. Positive themes highlighted that VC/TC enabled GPs to consult with a greater number of patients, thus prioritising face-to-face (FTFCs) consultations where needed. Barriers to using VC/TC included decreased visual assessments of patients FTF. GPs are continuing to use VC/TC at the initial consultation stage, however the broader and longer-term implications on PA promotion with older adults are unknown.

"What script am I meant to use?": a qualitative study in chronic primary pain.

Chronic primary pain (CPP) as a diagnosis has been introduced in the recent International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11). CPP captures the experience of pain as the primary problem, without an underlying attributable cause. Dissemination of UK guidance regarding CPP represents the first time it has been recognised as a condition in its own right. Little is known regarding General Practitioner (GP) views concerning caring for patients with CPP and how related guidance is viewed and applied in practice. To explore GP perspectives in relation to caring for people with CPP, including challenges encountered and use of related guidelines in practice. A UK-wide qualitative interview study in primary care. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 15 GP participants from England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three main themes were generated: (1) "How to start? Problematic beginnings" referred to difficulties regarding diagnosis; (2) "Where to go? Mapping the management challenge" and (3) "How to get there? Navigating strategies and response", explored GP awareness and acceptability of UK guidelines for chronic pain. Areas identified for potential improvement included increased access to NPM and secondary care services, support with de-prescribing and an expanded multidisciplinary team input. CPP is complex to both diagnose and manage. Although guidelines provide a useful framework, they pose challenges when translating into day-to-day practice.

The Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre: a dedicated centre driving innovation in medicines optimisation-impact and sustainability

BackgroundSub-optimal medicines use is a challenge globally, contributing to poorer health outcomes, inefficiencies and waste. The Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre (MOIC) was established in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health (DH) in 2015 to support implementation of the Medicines Optimisation Quality Framework.AimTo demonstrate how MOIC informs policy and provides support to commissioners to improve population health and wellbeing.SettingMOIC is a regional centre with multidisciplinary and multi-sector clinical expertise across Health and Social Care and patient representation.DevelopmentCore funded by DH, MOIC has a robust governance structure and oversight programme board. An annual business plan is agreed with DH. Rigorous processes have been developed for project adoption and working collaboratively with industry.ImplementationMOIC has established partnerships with academia, industry, healthcare and representative organisations across Europe, participating in research and development projects and testing integrated technology solutions. A hosting programme has been established and evaluation and dissemination strategies have been developed.EvaluationMOIC has established numerous agreements, partnered in three large EU projects and strengthened networks globally with extensive publications and conference presentations. Informing pathway redesign, sustainability and COVID response, MOIC has also assisted in the development of clinical pharmacy services and antimicrobial stewardship in Europe and Africa. Northern Ireland has been recognised as a 4-star European Active and Healthy Ageing Reference Site and the Integrated Medicines Management model as an example of best practice in Central and Eastern Europe.ConclusionMOIC has demonstrated considerable success and sustainability and is applicable to health systems globally.

Using digital technology to engage people with varying degrees of sight loss with archives and filmmaking during COVID-19

When the Covid-19 pandemic reached Europe in March 2020, the official archive for Northern Ireland, PRONI (Public Record Office of Northern Ireland) was forced to close its doors and move all work online, including its outreach programmes. One of the people to benefit from the programme was a group with different degrees of sight loss from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). Ten people aged 20-60s took part in Everyday is a School Day, an eight-week filmmaking project which used Zoom and smartphone filmmaking to connect them with PRONI’s archives and help them make short films about their experiences of education in 2021. A year later we brought the group back to PRONI for a second project, Music Tales, which helped them continue to develop filmmaking skills and to delve deeper into the archives and explore the role of music in their lives. In this article, we take the two projects as case studies and use a reflective methodology to analyse how Zoom technology and a participatory approach to filmmaking were used to enable the group to engage with archives and learn how to tell their stories through film.