All About Me
My name is Orla Carney and I am currently a second year MPhil student based in the Centre for Public Health at Queens University Belfast. I completed my undergraduate medical degree at Queens and graduated in 2016. I then completed my foundation medical training rotating through various specialties including renal medicine, geriatrics, orthopaedics and oncology. I have always loved travelling and after completing my foundation programme, I knew I wanted to spend some time working abroad to experience a different healthcare system. I opted for the sunny shores of Perth, Western Australia where I spent two years working in a busy emergency department. I gained such a wealth of experience during this time by assessing and treating a range of patients, from tiny newborn babies to the elderly patients presenting towards the end of life. I even gained skills in the management of snake bites, although these are skills that I thankfully haven’t had to use since returning to Ireland!
I think I adapted well to the Aussie way of life with my days off filled with road trips, sea swims and plenty of barbecues. However, my time there was also filled with uncertainty as we faced the challenges of the beginning of the COVID pandemic. In many ways, as Perth is the most isolated city in the world, there was no better place to be during this time. On the other hand, with my friends and family on the other side of the world, I knew that home was calling and so I made the decision to return to Belfast in 2021.
I began my general practice training in 2021 as I knew I wanted to work with a variety of patients regarding age, clinical presentation and complexity of medical problems. In my final year of GP training, I was given the opportunity to become involved in research through the GP Academic Research Training Scheme. Whilst I had no previous involvement or experience with research, I had always been interested in gaining research skills and knew this would be an invaluable opportunity. When considering my potential areas for research, I thought back to my time working in oncology in my foundation years. This is a speciality which I had always found interesting and with early diagnostics being such a rapidly evolving area, I felt that this would be an exciting area to begin my research journey.
Outside of work, I am a keen runner and completed my first half marathon last year. I am currently training for the Paris marathon in April 2025 in aid of Cancer Focus NI. I regularly run with various social running clubs in Belfast and find these a great way to meet people and destress after a busy clinic day.
My Project
My research project is focused on the potential uses for capsule sponge testing within primary care to improve diagnosis of Barrett’s Oesophagus. Barrett’s oesophagus is an inflammatory condition where the normal squamous cells lining the oesophagus, undergo changes and can become abnormal. These cells have the potential to develop into oesophageal cancer. Many patients with Barrett’s oesophagus are asymptomatic and identifying those at risk presents a challenge in primary care. The development of the capsule sponge test has presented an exciting opportunity to improve early diagnosis.
The capsule sponge test is a quick test which has the potential to be performed in a general practice or outpatient setting. The test involves swallowing a capsule attached to a string under the supervision of a doctor or nurse. Once swallowed, the capsule lining dissolves in the stomach to reveal a small sponge attached to the string. On removal of the sponge by pulling on the string, the sponge is able to collect cell samples from the oesophageal lining, which can then be tested to identify any changes suggestive of Barrett’s oesophagus. Clinical trials to date have shown that the capsule sponge is a safe and effective test, identifying up to ten times more cases of Barrett’s oesophagus than current standard care (which involves assessment by a GP and using history and examination to assess whether a patient would benefit from further investigation with upper GI endoscopy).
Currently, the BEST4 trial is seeking to understand whether mortality from oesophageal cancer can be reduced through use of the capsule sponge test. This trial also includes parallel studies which are focusing on patient experience and their willingness to undertake a capsule sponge test. However, one key group which has not been involved in this research are general practitioners. As a GP trainee, I feel that I am uniquely placed to fill this research gap.
This qualitative study seeks to understand GP perspectives regarding current management of dyspepsia and upper GI symptoms in primary care. It also seeks to understand views on the potential uses of the capsule sponge and any barriers and enablers to its implementation. Through the use of semi-structured interviews, a group of GP volunteers from across the UK and Ireland will be given the opportunity to discuss their opinions. The data obtained from these interviews will be vital for policymakers to consider when developing any new potential pathways in primary care.
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