Coral Hanson
coral hanson

Dr Coral Hanson

Senior Research Fellow

 0131 455 3457

  C.Hanson@napier.ac.uk

   

About me

Biography

With over 20 years of experience working in a public sector physical activity environment, Coral has worked as both a deliverer and manager of physical activity interventions for those with long-term conditions since 1995. She completed a part-time PhD at Durham University in 2017. This was a large-scale, pragmatic, mixed methods evaluation of a community based physical activity programme.

In January 2017, Coral joined Edinburgh Napier University as a researcher for a three year project examining barriers and facilitators to male participation in a community-based physical activity referral scheme (PARS). Her current research includes the development and implementation of a taxonomy for the reporting and evaluation of PARS, and the development and evaluation of digital solutions to support participants in a PARS. She is also involved in two atrial fibrillation studies: a feasibility randomized controlled trial aimed at increasing medication adherence among adults with atrial fibrillation using mobile health technology, and a realist evaluation of atrial fibrillation screening.

School

Research Groups

Themes

Research Areas

Activity

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Member of the Public Health Scotland National Physical Activity Referral Scheme Development Group

Conference Organising Activity

  • Lead conference organiser: Cardiovascular Health Conference ‘A focus on physical activity interventions,' Edinburgh Napier University (November 2019)

Editorial Activity

  • Guest editor for a special edition of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Fellowships and Awards

  • British Cardiovascular Society Travel Award
  • Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions Travel Award
  • Association of Commonwealth Universities Early Career Award
  • Mentee at the Emerging Leaders Mentor/Mentee Dinner, Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
  • British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Travel Award

Invited Speaker

  • What works for whom in AF screening- a realist review, Arrhythmia Alliance Heart Rhythm Congress, Birmingham, UK
  • How do we know if physical activity referral systems work? European Society of Cardiology Congress, Barcelona, Spain
  • 'A focus on those less likely to attend cardiac rehabilitation. Are we providing the right services?' British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Exercise Professional Group Day, Birmingham, UK
  • 'Referral and retention in cardiac rehabilitation services,' Irish Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation Conference, Johnstown, Ireland
  • 'Exercise Referral Schemes – Access, Adherence And Multi-morbidity.' British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Conference, Nottingham, UK
  • 'What happens after cardiac rehabilitation? Exercise referral schemes.' European Society of Cardiology EuroHeartCare 2018 Congress, Dublin, Ireland
  • 'Exercise referral: Lessons from the UK.' Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand 65th Annual Scientific Meeting Clinical and Preventative Cardiology Symposium, Perth, Australia
  • An evaluation of the efficacy of the exercise on referral scheme in Northumberland, UK: impact on physical activity and predictors of engagement; Northern Symposium for Sports Medicine 2012, Newcastle, UK

Membership of Professional Body

  • International Society for Physical Activity and Health member
  • British Cardiovascular Society member
  • British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation member

Public/Community Engagement

  • Public Health Scotland Physical Activity Referral Learning Exchange Presentation: 'The Physical Activity Referral Scheme Taxonomy - Getting Criteria Right,' Edinburgh, UK
  • NHS Scotland Exercise Referral Learning Exchange Presentation: 'A Taxonomy for Exercise Referral,' Edinburgh, UK

Research Degree External Examining

  • PhD examination University of Sydney
  • Professional Doctorate examination, Staffordshire University
  • PhD examination James Cook University
  • PhD examination Northumbria University
  • PhD examination University of Sydney

Reviewing

  • Reviewer European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
  • Reviewer Health Promotion International
  • Reviewer BMC Public Health
  • Reviewer Journal of Physical Activity and Health
  • Reviewer Scientific Reports
  • Reviewer npj Digital Medicine
  • Reviewer BMJOpen
  • Reviewer Health Education Journal

Visiting Positions

  • Visiting Researcher, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
Outputs

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56 results

Usability and acceptability of ambulatory monitoring in undiagnosed syncope: insights from the ASPIRED-Q qualitative study

Journal Article
Pearsons, A., Hanson, C. L., Neubeck, L., Blackstock, C., Clarke, E., & Reed, M. J. (2025)
Usability and acceptability of ambulatory monitoring in undiagnosed syncope: insights from the ASPIRED-Q qualitative study. BMJ Open, 15(4), Article e095927. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-095927
Objectives: The aim of this study, which was embedded into the ASPIRED randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN10278811), was to explore patient and healthcare professional usabili...

Mixed methods evaluation of a digital resource to build students’ skills in AS sessing cardiovascular risk, MO tivating change, and SUS taining a healthier lifestyle in themselves and others- ASMOSUS: a study protocol

Journal Article
Creighton, L., Caughers, G., Thompson, G., Mitchell, G., Forrest, B., McHale, S., McKenna, N., Rice, B. J., Smart, A., Gilhooly, S., Gordon-Wright, P., Fraser, D., Gray, S., Eom, Y., Kennedy, E., McLaughlin, C., McMahon, J., Hanson, C. L., Neubeck, L., & Fitzsimons, D. (2025)
Mixed methods evaluation of a digital resource to build students’ skills in AS sessing cardiovascular risk, MO tivating change, and SUS taining a healthier lifestyle in themselves and others- ASMOSUS: a study protocol. BMC Nursing, 24(1), Article 264. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-02923-2
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Nurses and nursing students are in an optimum role to assess, manage and pro...

The Usability and Acceptability of Ambulatory Monitoring in Undiagnosed Syncope: Insights from the ASPIRED-Q Qualitative Study

Journal Article
Pearsons, A., Hanson, C., Neubeck, L., Blackstock, C., Clarke, E., & Reed, M. (in press)
The Usability and Acceptability of Ambulatory Monitoring in Undiagnosed Syncope: Insights from the ASPIRED-Q Qualitative Study. BMJ Open,
Objectives: The aim of this study, which was embedded into the ASPIRED randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN10278811), was to explore patient and healthcare professional usabili...

Evaluation of the initial rollout of the physical activity referral standards policy in Scotland: a qualitative study

Journal Article
Hanson, C. L., Mchale, S., Neubeck, L., Dougall, N., & Kelly, P. (2025)
Evaluation of the initial rollout of the physical activity referral standards policy in Scotland: a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 15(1), Article e089723. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089723
Objectives: Physical activity referral schemes (PARS) allow healthcare professionals to refer patients for physical activity support. Evidence of effectiveness is equivocal. P...

Patient and public perspectives of involvement in cardiovascular research in Scotland, UK. A report of the NHS Research Scotland Heart Engagement And Research Talks

Journal Article
Mchale, S., Pearsons, A., Hanson, C., Mcauley, M., Simpson, M., Porteous, C., Irvine, V., Houston, R., Henderson, P., & Neubeck, L. (2025)
Patient and public perspectives of involvement in cardiovascular research in Scotland, UK. A report of the NHS Research Scotland Heart Engagement And Research Talks. British Journal of Cardiology, 32(1), https://doi.org/10.5837/bjc.2025.002
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of global mortality, necessitating extensive research efforts. In Scotland, the NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Cardiov...

What mechanism(s) underpin successful risk reduction and lifestyle modification in atrial fibrillation: A realist qualitative study

Presentation / Conference Contribution
Pearsons, A., Hanson, C., Hendriks, J., & Neubeck, L. (2025, January)
What mechanism(s) underpin successful risk reduction and lifestyle modification in atrial fibrillation: A realist qualitative study. Poster presented at Symposium on the Future of Evaluation in Health and Social Care, Newcastle, UK
Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common abnormal sustained heart rhythm disorder and increases risk of severe disabling stroke fivefold. Those with AF are of...

Usability and acceptability of ambulatory ECG monitoring in undiagnosed syncope: Insights from the ASPIRED-Q qualitative study

Presentation / Conference Contribution
Pearsons, A., Reed, M., Hanson, C., Clarke, E., Blackstock, C., & Neubeck, L. (2024, October)
Usability and acceptability of ambulatory ECG monitoring in undiagnosed syncope: Insights from the ASPIRED-Q qualitative study. Presented at Royal College of Emergency Medicine Annual Scientific Conference, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
Aims, objectives and background: The aim of this study, which was embedded into the ASPIRED randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN10278811), was to explore patient and clinician ...

Brain fog and spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a commentary

Journal Article
Neubeck, L., Pearsons, A., & Hanson, C. (2024)
Brain fog and spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a commentary. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 23(8), e175–e176. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvae109
This invited commentary refers to ‘Cognitive and physical fatigue—the experience and consequences of ‘brain fog’ after spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a qualitative st...

A narrative review of global and national physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines development processes - The GUidelines Standards (GUS) project

Journal Article
Milton, K., Hanson, C., Pearsons, A., Chou, R., & Stamatakis, E. (in press)
A narrative review of global and national physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines development processes - The GUidelines Standards (GUS) project. Preventive Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.107959
Background: Clinical and public health guidelines serve to direct clinical practice and policy, based on the best available evidence. The World Health Organization (WHO) and ...

Online information for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) survivors and their families: a systematic appraisal of content and quality of websites

Journal Article
Weddell, J., Jawad, D., Buckley, T., Redfern, J., Mansur, Z., Elliott, N., …Gallagher, R. (2024)
Online information for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) survivors and their families: a systematic appraisal of content and quality of websites. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 184, Article 105372
Background Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) survivors often seek information online. However, the quality and content of websites for SCAD survivors is uncertain....
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