Oxford Biomedical Research Unit
Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
Surgery for Common Shoulder Problems
Newsletter, February 2015
We are sending you this Newsletter because you took part in our survey last year, and said that you
would like to be kept informed about the results.
The direction of research is often set by researchers
or by the implant industry. We want to enable
patients, carers, and the health and social care
professionals who look after people with common
shoulder problems to have their say, so that future
research is aligned with what matters most to
everyone whose life is affected.
We now need your help with the next stage!
We think it is essential that the future of research in this
area in the UK is informed by you – the people who live
with, or treat common shoulder problems. We would
value your opinion and help in determining research
priorities.
In August and September of 2014, we ran an online
survey to ask what questions those people think
researchers should be working on. We were
delighted to receive more than 300 responses and
over 600 questions to review, in order to identify
key research topics. Our data team has been very
busy checking through all the suggestions as well as
checking the existing research to see what
questions have already been answered. Some
questions are identical or very similar and can be
combined. We also have to make sure that the
questions are worded in such a way that they are
useful in influencing the direction of research
funding. A list of around 50 questions is being
produced for the next stage of the process.
We ask for just 20-30 minutes of your time.
We will then need patients, carers, and health and
social care professionals to help us to further refine
this list to include the questions that you think are
the highest priority. This interim prioritisation
process should provide us with a list of “Top 30”
questions.
Your contribution is very important to us. You will be
helping to identify the questions that will be considered
in the Final Workshop in June and may appear in the
final Top 10. If you would like to help, please contact
Sandra Regan by March 13th (details below) with:
Your name
Whether you would like to do it online or by
post (and make sure to include your e-mail
address or postal address)
Whether you are someone with shoulder
problems, or a health/ social care professional,
or both
If you are a health/ social care professional,
what your role is (e.g. surgeon, physio, GP,
nurse, OT)
Please also state “Shoulder PSP” when you get
in touch
Finally, a workshop will be held in June this year
where people who are either living with a shoulder
problem themselves, or are clinicians with expertise
in shoulder problems, will assess the ‘Top 30’
questions and, from these, agree which are the
“Top 10” priorities for future research.
Contact details:
Sandra Regan – James Lind Alliance Project Manager
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre,
Churchill Hospital | Joint Research Office |Block 60 |
Oxford OX3 7LE
Tel: (01865) 223298
E-mail: sandra.regan@ouh.nhs.uk
Your task would be to look at the list of around 50
questions and score them in importance – saying, YES to
those you consider important, NO to those you consider
unimportant, or UNSURE to any questions you find
difficult to assess.
The questions will be provided to you in an easy format
online if you have internet web access, or by post if you
don’t.
We would either send you the web link to the questions,
or the list by post, in mid-March, and ask you to reply by
early April. A final date is still to be agreed.
If you are replying by post, you can complete and return the
form on the following page.
Supporting partners:
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; Arthritis Care; Arthroplasty Care Practitioners Association; Royal College of Nursing, Society of Trauma and
Orthopaedics; Pain Concern; Royal College of Anaesthetists / National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia
Oxford Biomedical Research Unit
Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
The James Lind Alliance (JLA) brings together patients, carers and health and social care professionals in Priority
Setting Partnerships (PSPs) to agree what research matters most in given disease areas.
There is much that is still unknown about which patients with common shoulder problems are best treated with
surgery, at what stage this surgery is best advised, and how best to ensure a good and rapid recovery. There are
also uncertainties about which operations and techniques might be best, and when such operations should be
considered over conservative treatment such as physiotherapy. The Priority Setting Partnership on Surgery for
Common Shoulder Problems was set up last year to identify unanswered questions in this area.
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has participated so far.
With very best wishes,
The Steering Group for the Priority Setting Partnership on Surgery for Common Shoulder Problems
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I would like to help with the next stage of the Priority Setting Partnership on Surgery for Common Shoulder Problems:
Name:
I would like to receive the questions online, and my e-mail
address is:
I would like to receive the questions by post, and my
address is:
I have a shoulder problem:
Yes/ No
I care for someone who has a shoulder problem:
Yes/ No
I am a health or social care professional:
Yes/ No
As a health or social care professional my role is (e.g.
surgeon, physio, GP, nurse):
Please return by March 13th to:
Sandra Regan – James Lind Alliance Project Manager
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre,
Churchill Hospital | Joint Research Office |Block 60 | Oxford OX3 7LE
Supporting partners:
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; Arthritis Care; Arthroplasty Care Practitioners Association; Royal College of Nursing, Society of Trauma and
Orthopaedics; Pain Concern; Royal College of Anaesthetists / National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia