C
O
V
E
N
T
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Y
W A R W I C K S H I R E
WORCESTERSHIRE
H E R E F O R D S H I R E
WEST
MIDLANDS
SOUTH
P R I M A RY
CARE
RESEARCH
U P DAT E
PARTICIPATE
VOLUME NO 14
SUMMER 2014
Primary Care Research Activities
In 2013/14, across West Midlands South 167 practices took part in NIHR portfolio practices
recruiting a total of 6,008 patients participating in 63 studies. This was an enormous
achievement demonstrating sustained growth in primary care research activity in this area.
It was particularly impressive as several studies involved considerable time and effort focused
on a relatively few patients.
POINTS OF
INTEREST
Current Study – CANDID
New Study – PSM COPD
Local Research –
Encouraging Flu
Vaccine Update
Image courtesy of Gualberto107 @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Team News –
New Links with CCGs
CONTENTS
Current Studies
2-5
New Studies
6
International
ClinicalTrials Day
7
Research Incentive
Scheme8-9
Research Ready
9
Local Research
10
LocalTeam News
11
Continuing Professional
Development12
Research is becoming an increasingly core part of the “business” of primary care in West
Midlands South. One development that is driving this is the presence of GP research
champions across the area – local GPs who have a passion for primary care research.
There are now six champions working across West Midlands South, each jointly employed
with a CCG. They are important to raising the profile of primary care research at CCG level,
encouraging GP practices to engage with research, supporting practices to participate
in studies and championing the local uptake of research findings into everyday practice.
They are attending practice meetings, practice nurse and manager forums, GP registrar
events – but are always looking for more ways to promote primary care research.
If you have ideas, do let your local champion know.
In this edition we feature articles on:
•a randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of GPs’ 30-second opportunistic
intervention to support weight loss in obese adults. (page 2)
•a randomised controlled trial of a telephone-based self-management intervention for
patients with mild dyspnoea (page 6)
•recruitment of six GPs to act as research champions in their respective CCG areas, their
roles and responsibilities (page 11)
•postgraduate certificate, diploma and masters courses available at Warwick Medical School
as part of the Health Research programme (page 12)
If you would like to contribute to Participate or for further information please contact
Jenny Oskiera, email: j.oskiera@warwick.ac.uk
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Current Studies
Developing
indicators for the
Quality and
Outcomes
Framework
(QOF)
Researchers at the University of
Birmingham in the National
Collaborating centre for Indicator
development have working with the
National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence (NICE) since 2009
to develop and pilot potential new
indicators for the Quality and
Outcomes framework. During this
time we have piloted over 75 new
indicators, and work continues.
Brief intervention for Weight Loss
The invitation to GPs to contribute to a trial of a very
brief intervention to help patients lose weight is still open.
We invite you to participate in BWeL,
a randomised controlled trial testing
the effectiveness of GPs’ 30-second
opportunistic intervention to support
weight loss in obese adults.
Recruitment is progressing well, with
around 860 participants enrolled so
far. We are looking to recruit almost
another 1000 patients from GP
practices across England.
Why is this trial important?
25% of the UK’s adult population
is obese and modest weight loss
reduces the incidence of type II
diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Recent evidence demonstrates that
commercial weight loss services,
available to NHS patients on
prescription, can lead to clinically
significant weight loss (see related
report on Lighten Up; www.bmj.com/
content/343/bmj.d6500).
As part of the piloting process we
work with 34 GP practices in England.
These practices implement the potential
new indicators for 6 months each year
as well as completing workload diaries
and pre- and post-pilot audits of
achievement. At the end of the six
months, practice staff are interviewed
and their views sought as to whether
the indicators should be considered
for inclusion in QOF and their reasons.
Practices who have worked with us
describe the process as being interesting
and a real opportunity to influence the
future direction of the QOF.
We are continuing to recruit GP
practices to work with us until 2016.
If you would be interested in finding
out more about this study please
contact Rachel Foskett-Tharby email:
r.fosketttharby@bham.ac.uk or Dr
Paramjit Gill email: p.s.gill@bham.ac.uk
Your involvement as a GP
For patients assigned to the
intervention group, ‘practical support’,
you would explain that weight loss is
more successful with the support of
a commercial service and offer
a free referral accompanied
by a progress review
appointment in a month’s
time. In the control
group you would
encourage weight
loss by stating the
benefits to health.
Both approaches
are opportunistic
and very brief. If you
feel patients require
more than 30 seconds,
you could offer them
another appointment for more
detailed discussion; we will provide
you with appropriate training for this.
What are the benefits of
participating in BWeL?
• Patients randomised to ‘practical
support’ will be entitled to 12 free
sessions with a commercial weight
loss service (Rosemary Conley or
Slimming World)
• Socio-demographic, height and
weight data will be collected for all
patients attending during BWeL
recruitment sessions, and can be
used to update medical records
• Costs for taking part are covered
• The BWeL training contributes
towards CPD and can be
implemented and reflected upon
for double points
Principal investigators:
Dr Amanda Lewis and Prof. Paul
Aveyard, Dept. of Primary Care
Health Sciences, University of Oxford.
Image courtesy of Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
If your practice is interested in taking part, please contact Sarah Clarke,
Trial Coordinator, phone: 07865 617958, email: sarah.clarke@phc.ox.ac.uk
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Current Studies
Benefits of Aldosterone Receptor Antagonism
in Chronic Kidney Disease Trial
Objectives
To determine whether the addition
of an aldosterone receptor antagonist
(ARA) in patients with moderate
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD):
• reduces death
• reduces onset, or progression of,
cardiovascular disease
• improves measures of vascular
resistance
• improves left ventricular function
• reduces decline in renal function
Background
Better treatment options providing
protection from vascular events or delaying
progression of CKD are urgently needed.
There are limited therapeutic options to
reduce overall cardiovascular risk in CKD.
Accumulating data suggest ARAs may
offer cardio-protection and delay renal
impairment in some patients.
BARACK D is the only current
large prospective randomised
open blinded endpoint trial
(PROBE) focussing on this theme.
Recruitment
120 practices are being recruited nationally.
Patients identified by their GPs with a
diagnosis of CKD Stage 3b will be invited
to take part, with approximately 22 per
practice enrolling.
ARA for CKD – the “renal aspirin”?
Participation
For the 36 month follow-up, patients
will be randomised to either:
a) treatment plus standard care
b) standard care alone
For further information, please contact
Dr Ben Thompson, senior trial manager,
phone: 01865 289 296,
email: ben.thompson@phc.ox.ac
Preloading Trial: Help your Patients to Quit Smoking
30
29
22
20
23
21
18
11
20
19
Jun 14
Apr 14
May 14
Mar 14
Jan 14
Feb 14
Dec 13
Nov 13
Sep 13
Oct 13
Jul 13
Aug 13
9
Jun 13
Apr 13
12
24
21
14
May 13
10
Mar 13
Jan 13
4
10
Feb 13
4
5
Dec 12
0
5
Nov 12
10
23
17
15
Sep 12
Don’t miss this opportunity to help more smokers in your
practice quit. We are recruiting smokers to take part in an
NIHR HTA funded trial of nicotine patch preloading, and we
are looking for interested GP practices based in Warwickshire
or Worcestershire to get involved by writing to smokers and
offering them our support.
Those using the NHS Stop Smoking Service are four times
more likely to quit than those that quit alone, but the majority will
still return to smoking. Nicotine preloading is the use of nicotine
patches by smokers before quitting, whilst smoking as usual.
Preloading is a large multi-centre trial, recruiting through
centres in the West Midlands, Nottingham, Bristol and London.
We specifically need GP practices based in Warwickshire or
Worcestershire to write to smokers inviting them to participate.
Eligible participants will be randomised, either to receive four weeks
of nicotine patch preloading, or not. The research team will need to
see participants for two weeks at their practice before referring
them to their local NHS Stop Smoking Service (which may already
operate in their practice) for standard support. Our primary
Fig. 1: Recruitment figures across the West Midlands area to date
Oct 12
Now recruiting until February 2015
outcome measure is the participant’s smoking status at six month
follow-up. The research team will need to see participants claiming
to be abstinent at six and 12 month follow-ups, at their practice.
Interested participating practices will be asked to identify any
registered smokers from their database system and provide a room
for use by our researchers one day (or morning/afternoon) a week.
All costs will be covered, and the study could help your patients to
give up smoking.
If you are based in Warwickshire or Worcestershire and would like to be involved please contact:
Mike Healy, trial administrator, phone: 0121 415 8019, email: preloading@contacts.bham.ac.uk
or Elaine Butcher, research nurse, mob: 07867 468 556, email: e.butcher@warwick.ac.uk
Page 3
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Current Studies
CANDID – CANcer DIagnosis Decision rules
CANDID is a national study with
practices participating from across
the country, supported by the
relevant local Clinical Research
Network (CRN). Other regions
have been able to successfully
recruit to CANDID and, together
with the national team, we are
identifying factors that may help
to support recruitment in our area.
may invite patients with a broad
spectrum of lung or bowel symptoms,
which is important for developing
future guidance that can distinguish
between people at very low risk versus
increased risk of cancer.
Separate research sessions (e.g. one
hour to schedule three CANDID
patients) have been shown to work
well in practices that are recruiting
successfully as this allows sufficient time
to discuss the study with patients and
to complete study documentation.
How can we help?
Materials and support for recruiting
patients via monthly retrospective
searches (selecting ten eligible patients
who consulted in the previous week)
is currently being tested; we will offer
this to practices soon.
Our target for case identification is 1-2
participants per month per clinician to
enable us to make a significant contribution
towards the national target and we will
be updating practices regularly to monitor
progress in this important study.
Now Recruiting Locally
Recruitment for CANDID in CRN
West Midlands has begun. In our
locality four practices are awaiting their
first eligible patient. A further six
practices are in the set-up stage and
practice expressions of interest in the
study are steadily increasing.
We are able to supply practices with
a range of hints and tips, study posters
etc., to support recruitment. Practices
Your local team are here to support you and answer any questions you may have. Please contact Julie Roscoe, email: j.
roscoe@warwick.ac.uk or Jenny Lee, email: jennifer.lee@warwick.ac.uk if you have any queries about the CANDID study.
Helicobacter Eradication Aspirin Trial
Helicobacter eradication to prevent ulcer
bleeding in aspirin users: a large simple
randomised controlled trial
Principal investigator Birmingham region:
Prof Richard Hobbs.
Locations: ~400 GP practices in Birmingham
and Black Country, Worcestershire, Coventry
and Warwickshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire,
Herefordshire, Stoke, Telford and Wrekin,
Wolverhampton, Sussex & Surrey, Nottingham,
Durham, Southampton, and Oxford.
Enrolment Period: 2012 – June 2014
Participants: Men and women aged 60+, infected
with H. pylori, who are using aspirin <326mg daily
Other Information: This trial has been preceded
by a successful pilot study, funded by the MRC.
Practices will be reimbursed for their time.
Use of aspirin for cardiovascular prophylaxis is widespread and
increasing. The main hazard is ulcer bleeding. This is usually
associated with H. pylori infection. It is important to determine
whether this can be reduced or prevented by H. pylori eradication.
The trial hypothesis is that aspirin does not itself cause peptic
ulcers, but that it promotes bleeding of ulcers caused by H. pylori.
Given the scale of aspirin use, its continuing increase and its
contribution to ulcer bleeding, how to deal with this problem is
arguably the most important question with regard to current
iatrogenic medicine.
Intervention and Clinic: Suitable patients will be identified by their
surgery, using an automated search, and then asked to attend an
appointment with a University Research Nurse or Practice Nurse
(relevant training will be provided) to consent to the trial and take a
H. pylori breath test. Those with a positive result will be randomised
to receive a one week course of either eradication treatment or
placebo, supplied by the trial centre. No follow-up visits for the
patients are required, but any hospital admissions for ulcer bleeding
will be recorded over a period of 2-3 years by the trial centre.
Further information: If you would like to find out more, please contact the trial manager for your region, Rachel Iles,
phone: 0121 414 2691, email: r.iles@bham.ac.uk
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Current Studies
ExACT – Extended anticoagulation
treatment for VTE: a randomised trial
Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE)
is common with an incidence of approximately
1 per 1,000 per annum. It is associated with significant
mortality and morbidity, including post-thrombotic
syndrome (PTS). The annual recurrence rate
following a first VTE is approximately 10% per annum
irrespective of the duration of warfarin therapy.
This suggests that some patients should continue warfarin long-term.
However, currently we are unable to identify this population.
Aim: To investigate whether extending treatment with warfarin beyond 3-6 months,
for patients with a first unprovoked proximal DVT or PE reduces the recurrence rate.
We still need your help! To recruit patients, aged over 18, with a first
unprovoked VTE from both primary care and secondary care anticoagulation clinics.
There is reimbursement for these services.To date, 231 patients have been enrolled
into the trial. Recruitment continues until 28th February 2015, with patient follow-up
continuing until February 2017.
ALTHOUGH RECRUITMENT IS WELL UNDER WAY
WE STILL NEED MORE PATIENTS AND HELP FROM GPS
We are in touch with GPs in your area asking for help with confirmation of patient’s
eligibility for inclusion into the study and provision of a room for the 2 year follow up.
Trial Intervention: Patients receive brief information about the study and are given
a postcard to return to the research team if willing to take part. Patients are randomised
to either continue or discontinue oral anticoagulation and will be followed up every six
months for two years. We will be looking at D-dimer levels (a product present in the
blood after a blood clot), the development of PTS and associated quality of life. We are
also looking at the cost effectiveness of continuing oral anticoagulation for these patients.
If you are interested in getting involved or require further information please
contact Sheriden Bevan, phone: 0121 414 3354, email: s.bevan@bham.ac.uk
Dementia and
Physical Activity
We are currently working with GP practices in
the West Midlands South and seeking people
with mild to moderate dementia who may wish
to take part in a study. The DAPA study aims
to show whether a programme of exercise can
have a beneficial effect on cognition (memory
and understanding) as compared to usual care.
We are looking for GPs to
identify patients who have:
• Mild to moderate dementia • Are able to walk about 10 feet • Live at home
Participants who are allocated to exercise will exercise with around five other people
twice a week for four months. Classes will be held in local exercise venues. Travel
expenses will be reimbursed. Practices will be reimbursed for their time and efforts.
Throughout 2014, the DAPA study will be running exercise groups in the
following areas: Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Coventry, Rugby and Nuneaton,
Worcester, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Kidderminster.
If you are interested in receiving more information, please contact the team
quoting ‘DAPA’ phone: 02476 150 955 or email: DAPA.Trial@warwick.ac.uk
The Lipos Study:
Liraglutide in PCOS
Principal Investigator:
Dr Harpal Randeva
Location: University Hospital
Coventry and Warwickshire,
with recruitment from UHCW,
George Eliot and Warwick Hospitals
as well as NHS Community Health
Clinics and GP practices within
Coventry and Warwickshire.
Enrolment Period:
October 2013 - December 2014
Participants: Women with PCOS
Study Details
The Lipos (Liraglutide
in PCOS) study has
recently begun
recruitment in the
Coventry and
Warwickshire area.
Lipos is a prospective,
randomised, double
blind, placebo controlled study investigating
the use of Liraglutide alongside Metformin
SR to improve fertility and symptom
control in women diagnosed with Polycystic
Ovary Syndrome. The study is funded by
Novonordisk, sponsored by the University
of Warwick and hosted by UHCW.
The study aims to establish whether the
combined use of Metformin SR and
Liraglutide will improve menstrual regularity
amongst women diagnosed with PCOS.
Secondary outcome measures include
improvements in other symptoms and
effects of the condition including hirsutism,
metabolic syndrome and difficulty
controlling weight and acne.
We aim to enrol 106 participants,
who will all receive Metformin SR, with
randomisation leading to 50% receiving
Liraglutide and 50% receiving a placebo.
Participants will need to attend UHCW on
a number of occasions (17) over a period
of 62 weeks, with multiple data being
collected by study clinicians at each visit to
measure a wide range of metabolic and
cardiovascular parameters. Potential
participants should be over 18 and
diagnosed with PCOS.
If you would like to be involved, or
for more information, please contact
Dr Randeva email: harpal.randeva@
warwick.ac.uk or the study nurse, Kay
Webb, email: kathryn.webb@uhcw.nhs.uk
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New Studies
Patient Self-Management in primary care patients with
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PSM-COPD)
A randomised controlled trial of a telephone-based self-management
intervention for patients with mild dyspnoea
The PSM-COPD trial is a NIHR funded
study that aims to assess the
effectiveness of a telephone-based
self-management intervention as a
treatment for patients with COPD
who have mild dyspnoea compared to
usual care. Patients will be recruited
across four sites (Birmingham, Keele,
Manchester, and Oxford). Eligible
patients will be randomised to receive
the telephone-based self-management
care that is delivered by a study research
nurse or they will be randomised to
usual care. The telephone calls will
cover the areas of: smoking cessation
advice; encouragement to become
physically active; support for medication
adherence; and action planning. At
present, we are undertaking a feasibility
study along with focus groups to assess
the acceptability of the intervention.
The main trial will begin in January 2014
and we expect patient recruitment to
last for eight months.
Therefore, we would like to invite
interested GP practices to contact us
to take part in our trial. The additional
workload, if you decide to take part,
is minimal. We will ask you to generate a
list of patients who have mild dyspnoea
(MRC grades 1 and 2) and mail a study
invitation letter. Those patients wishing
to take part in our study will be asked
to return a reply slip or contact the
University of Birmingham research team.
Practices will need to provide clinic
space so our research nurse can confirm
eligibility and take consent from patients.
We will pay a set-up fee and reimburse
practices for additional activities
completed as part of our trial.
Principal Investigator:
Professor Kate Jolly
If your practice would like to take
part or would like more information,
please contact: Dr Manbinder Sidhu,
Research Fellow, phone: 0121 414
7895 email: m.s.sidhu@bham.ac.uk
Here to Stay
Research into the needs, experiences and outcomes of health and
social care services of people with learning disabilities from ethnic
minority communities, including new migrants, living in England
The Department of Health recognises that while progress
is being made, people with learning disabilities from ethnic
minority communities, including new migrants, have difficulties
in accessing appropriate services and face substantial
inequalities and discrimination in health and social services.
Commenced in July 2010, ‘Here to Stay’, is a five year
national research project that aims to provide evidence
about prevalence, needs and service requirements of people
with learning disabilities from ethnic minority and new
migrant communities.
To address these issues, we are using retrospective
data collection and prospective surveys, focus groups,
semi-structured interviews and consensus building methods
as our approach to collecting data. We are using this multimethod approach to ensure that we capture the richness
and depth of the experiences of our partners in the research.
We put these outcomes to a representative sample of key
stakeholders in a consensus building conference.
Our aim is to produce a national set of guidelines that will
best assist service commissioners and providers to make
services both available, and visible, to migrants who may
not otherwise know about them and their entitlements.
In the last phase of the study we will select a pilot site
to test the guidelines and examine the extent to which
they impact upon an increase in numbers of migrants using
learning disability services, their experience of the service
and improved outcomes.
Your involvement
If you would like to participate in our study, we would like
you to complete our online survey available on the project’s
website: http://arcuk.org.uk/heretostay/
For further information, please contact Dr Olga Kozlowska, Centre for Health and Social Care Improvement,
University of Wolverhampton, email: o.kozlowska@wlv.ac.uk
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International Clinical Trials Day 2014
International Clinical Trials Day
– it’s ‘OK to Ask’
This year the local National Institute for Health Research: Clinical Research Network Primary
Care team marked International Clinical Trials day in host practices in Coventry and Redditch
by celebrating and spreading the message that it is “OK to Ask” about clinical research.
The events were publicised in the local
newspapers, raising awareness to a wider audience,
resulting in a member of the public contacting the PCPIE team
enquiring how to get involved with research. The coffee mornings
allowed the PCPIE team and research nurses to reach out to
patients and staff at the practices in an informal manner, to discuss
studies that are on offer at the practices and to raise general
awareness that research is happening within them.
Informal discussions with patients highlighted that some patients
were interested in studies relevant to their own condition, many
not even realising their practice took part in research, or even that
there was a research Nurse based specifically at their practice.
To evaluate the mornings more formally, patients who were
willing, were asked to complete a survey to measure the impact
research is having on their care. A total of 124 surveys were
completed. The results are to be collated, analysed and published
in the next edition of Participate.
A recent consumer poll from the NIHR showed that only 21% of
patients and the public said that they would feel confident asking
their doctor about research opportunities. International Clinical
Trials day is an annual event commemorating the day James Lind
began his trials into the causes of scurvy. The PCPIE (Patient Carer
Public Involvement Engagement) team organised three coffee
mornings at Jubilee Health Centre, Broad Street Surgery and
Winyates Medical Centre to raise awareness about clinical research.
Preliminary Outcomes
Most patients (over 70%) said that they would be interested in
participating in clinical research that was relevant to them. However,
only a minority (around 20%) were already aware that their practice
was involved in research studies. This shows us that there is more
work to be done to raise awareness of research in general practices.
Participants were keen to participate in a range of activities,
particularly completing questionnaires or having extra examinations.
The usual way to contact patients (via a letter from the GP) seems
to be the most popular, but attention to other methods such as
social media, poster boards and leaflets would also be welcomed
and may help to increase general awareness of research.
These mornings were felt to be a successful way of connecting
with patients. The NIHR CRN Primary Care West Midlands team
will be holding more research awareness mornings throughout the
West Midlands South region.
Dr Dosanjh, lead research GP at Broad Street Surgery,
a host practice in Coventry explained,
“What these mornings did is to emphasise that
it is OK to Ask about research – and how the
people of Coventry can be a part of this.”
Professor Jeremy Dale of Warwick Medical School added,
“It was an ideal time to draw focus onto how
involvement in research can benefit both the
individual and society as a whole.”
“However, making our patients aware of this
isn’t limited to one week and we’re keen to
spread the message that it is OK to Ask all year
round. Practices who support research are
essential so the region can play a key role in
leading the way in clinical research.”
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Research Incentive Scheme
Research Incentive Scheme (RIS) 2014-15
The Clinical Research Network
Primary Care team in
collaboration with research active
practices in West Midlands, are
about to move into the fourth
year of a highly successful research
incentive scheme (RIS). The RIS
is designed to sustain and
increase primary care research
capacity across the area,
incentivising responsiveness
and commitment to research
in GP practices.
Since its introduction in 2012,
the scheme has grown and
we now have a core group of
practices who are committed
to, and regularly take part in,
NHS primary care research.
Incremental in design, it
encourages practices new to
research to get started, whilst
helping others to progress
to greater levels of involvement.
“We had a great time today.
I am genuinely impressed
with how comprehensively
the NIHR team has dealt
with the obstacles which
hinder research. I have
discussed this extensively...
and we are prepared to make
a significant investment of
our time to attack some
mutual objectives with you.”
Core Requirements
There are a few conditions for a practice to satisfy in order to be eligible for
the RIS and varying level of participation and remuneration. These include
undertaking training to become ‘research capable’, and attending at least one
local research meeting.
RIS practices receive funding to cover research infrastructure costs and receive
additional payments for taking part in specific research studies dependent upon
their complexity.
In 2013/14 a level one practice had to commit to 1-2 studies, a level two
practice 3-5 studies; in addition, host practices have to commit to 4-6 studies.
Host practices however, are, funded to host a research nurse to help in
undertaking studies.
An annual research symposium is held to bring together research active
practices to share ideas and give feedback on the scheme.
In 2013/14 the scheme included 53 practices across Coventry, Warwickshire,
Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Some 29 practices have been working as level
one practices, 17 at level two and 7 as host practices, where one of our research
nurses is based for part of the week.
Would you like to be involved?
May 2014 saw the launch of the 2014/15 RIS scheme. There remain a limited number of places for practices to take part.
At an introductory level, for practices undertaking one study in the year payment starts at £1,000 and goes up dependent
upon the level of research activity. If you are interested in hearing more about the scheme, please do get in touch with
your research facilitator and a member of the team can visit and explain the scheme in more detail.
CCG
Research Facilitator
Contact Information
Coventry & Rugby
Herefordshire
Redditch & Bromsgrove
South Warwickshire
South Worcestershire
Warwickshire North
Wyre Forest
Jenny Lee
Jenny Lee
Aman Johal
Becky Harrison
Aman Johal
Aman Johal
Aman Johal
jenny.lee@warwick.ac.uk
jenny.lee@warwick.ac.uk
amanpreet.jhan@warwick.ac.uk
r.l.harrison@warwick.ac.uk
amanpreet.jhan@warwick.ac.uk
amanpreet.jhan@warwick.ac.uk
amanpreet.jhan@warwick.ac.uk
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Research Incentive Scheme
More than 1,000
GP practices are now
“Research Ready”
Number of practices recruiting and/or
enrolled in RIS within West Midlands South
Practices Recruiting
Total Practices Enrolled
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2011 – 2012
2012 – 2013
2013 – 2014
We asked RIS practices for their views on the RIS scheme:
“As a practice we thoroughly enjoy participating in research”
“We have a history of research in practice for over 20 years.
The CRN team offer ways of formalising research within a
practice and gets the whole team on board”
Over 1,000 GP
practices; around
one in eight GP
practices across the
UK are now ‘Research Ready’, after completing the
Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
initiative designed to encourage GP teams and
patients to get involved in primary care research.
The online assessment ensures that practices are
aware of their responsibilities to both themselves
and their patients when they get involved in
primary care research.
Dr Matt Hoghton, Medical Lead for the RCGP
Clinical Innovation and Research Centre, said:
“Research is an essential part of
primary care; it helps GPs and other
team members keep up to date with
emerging protocols, initiatives and
mindsets, and it gives our patients the
confidence that they are receiving
cutting edge care. We are delighted that
so many GP practices are now Research
Ready. It demonstrates the commitment
of GPs to innovate and experiment in
the best interests of patient care, even
at a time when workloads are spiralling
and funding for general practice is at
an all-time low.”
Harvey Ward, Chair of the RCGP Patient
Participation Group, said:
“The incentive scheme has been very good for us, in what
has been a very busy year, the CRN team have been very
proactive in helping us come on board with research”.
2014/15 Research Incentive Scheme Opportunities
Good for practices because it:
•Recognises and supports the time spent on the preparatory work
behind recruiting patients to studies
•Develops rapport with the local CRN team to understand individual
practice needs
•Guides practices through the research governance process
•Financially rewards practices for research activity
•Raises awareness of research activities for patient populations
Good for CRN: West Midlands because it:
• Builds close relationships with local practices
• Enhances patient recruitment numbers to studies
• More effectively targets practices with relevant studies
• Increases timely responsiveness to study requests
“Patients want to know that their
GP practice is looking into new,
more efficient, ways of providing care
and that the care they receive is good
quality and tailored to the needs of the
local community. The Research Ready
self-assessment tool is an excellent
resource and patients can be confident
that any research taking place in their
practice is being undertaken correctly.”
How to get Involved
Access to the self-assessment tool costs £150
for a three-year accreditation period, which
can be recouped from any income the practice
receives from its research activities or other
sources of research support. Interested practices
can complete the online accreditation at
www.rcgp.org.uk/researchready
If you would like more information, please
contact Rebecca Harrison from your local team,
email: r.l.harrison@warwick.ac.uk
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Local Research & Training
Research Design
Service (RDS)
If you would like any further information,
please contact us on rds@warwick.ac.
uk or via www.rds-wm.nihr.ac.uk
Do you have a good research idea that
you’d like to develop further into a
grant application? The RDS can help by
providing methodological expertise and
advice on all aspects of research design.
The RDS exists to provide help and
advice to NHS researchers and others
working in partnership with the NHS in
preparing research proposals for
submission to peer reviewed funding
competitions. As the RDS is funded by the
NIHR such help is provided free of charge.
It Takes Courage to Hope
A recent paper called for more published research into
the important concept of hope in self-management
programmes (SMPs) for people affected by a long-term
condition (LTC). 1 Our qualitative interviews over the
last 20 years with SMP participants and facilitators
consistently highlighted the
presence of one of Irvin
Yalom’s curative factors
namely the instillation of hope.
Over the last few years
we have developed several
positive psychology based
SMPs, called Help to
Overcome Problems
Effectively (HOPE), for people
affected by cancer, dementia,
multiple sclerosis, autism and
depression, which are theoretically underpinned by
Snyder’s hope theory and evaluated using the Adult
State Hope Scale (ASHS).
Our evaluations of the HOPE Programme show
that participants describe the weekly goal setting and
goal feedback as important and valued mechanisms
to promote behaviour change. Participants’ ASHS
scores significantly improve at post-course (6 weeks)
and 6 months follow. Similar improvements occur in
depression and anxiety. Our findings confirm the
potential for hope theory based programmes to
improve important outcomes for people living with
a range of LTCs.
"The goal setting helped. From being in a
black tunnel you suddenly can see the light
at the end. The HOPE Course gave me
the courage to go forward and do things.
I have taken away from the course what it
says on the packet, 'hope for the future'"
HOPE Cancer Survivor
A Veres, L Bain, D Tin, C Thorne and LR Ginsburg. (2014) The neglected
importance of hope in self-management programs – a call for action Chronic
Illness: Vol. 10(2) 77–80 DOI: 10.1177/1742395313496827
1
How to Increase Flu
Vaccination Uptake
in GP Practices
Dr Katie Newby1, Joanne Parsons1 and Rachael Leslie2
In spring 2014,
Coventry University
undertook a piece of
work for Warwickshire
County Council and
Coventry City Council
aiming to identify
differences between
two groups of GP
practices: those with
‘high’ or ‘lower’ flu
vaccination uptake
rates. Interviews
with 18 practice
managers and two
GPs from 20 practices
(10 high and 10 lower)
were conducted.
Whilst good practice
and a desire to improve uptake was evident across the
two groups of practices, there were some key differences.
High performing practices were more likely to:
• have a highly driven/motivated lead
• have aspirational uptake targets (beyond QoF)
• to make greater and better use of computer prompts
•to have GPs opportunistically vaccinating (rather than
referring to practice nurse) and
•to contact patients by telephone (as opposed to letter
or other method) as a first line strategy.
The authors have produced a report for GP practices
providing more detail on the study and its findings, including
examples of best practice. This will be sent to all GP practices
across the two counties. It is hoped that this will be of use in
planning their 2014-15 flu vaccination strategy.
1
2
If you would like further details about the HOPE
Programme please contact Dr Andy Turner,
email: a.turner@coventry.ac.uk
Here are some of the ways we can help:
• Formulating research questions
• Building an appropriate research team
• Involving patients and the public
• Designing a Study
• Appropriate methodologies for
quantitative and qualitative research
• Identifying suitable funding sources
• Regulatory issues
• Writing lay summaries
• Identifying the resources required
for a successful project
Applied Research Centre in Health and Lifestyle Interventions, Coventry University
Warwickshire County Council
For a copy of the report please contact Katie Newby,
email: k.newby@coventry.ac.uk
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News from the Local Team
Appointment of local CRN GP Research Champions
Six GPs have been recruited as part
of the Clinical Research Network to
act as research champions in their
respective CCGs with the aim of
supporting the local expansion of
research in primary care.
The main components of this role include:
•Being a key member of the local clinical research team, raising awareness of
research with colleagues, identifying and recruiting more research active practices
•Being a point of contact and liaison between the CCG and the local clinical
research team, ensuring that the both are aware of research opportunities that
are relevant to the area
•Providing clinical expertise on research protocols and assisting with feasibility
work to ensure study recruitment is maximised
The GP research champion for your area is:
Herefordshire
Dr Dominic Horne
South Warwickshire
Dr Sarah Colliver
South Worcestershire
Dr Claire Jones
Coventry & Rugby
Dr Tanveer Alam
Coventry & Rugby
Dr Helen Tyrrell
Redditch & Bromsgrove Dr Anil Joshi
Warwickshire North
Dr Tara al-Salihi (acting)
Wyre Forest
Dr Tara al-Salihi (acting)
d.c.horne@warwick.ac.uk
s.e.colliver@warwick.ac.uk
clairejones4@nhs.net
tanveer.alam2@nhs.net
h.tyrrell@nhs.net
a.joshi@nhs.net
t.al-salihi@warwick.ac.uk
t.al-salihi@warwick.ac.uk
Personal Profiles
My name is Claire Talbot
and I started working for the
Clinical Research Network in
January 2014.
I joined the team after
completing the Return to
Nursing Practice course
following a career break
having had two children.
My career has been varied
and I have had the opportunity
to work in hospital general
medicine, high dependency,
emergency admissions, and
latterly practice nursing.
I am new to Primary Care
Research and feel very lucky to
be part of such a motivated,
warm, and friendly team. I am
really enjoying the variety of
studies I have so far been
involved in, and feel very
excited at being part of the
research process within the
primary care setting.
I am Jonathan Davies
(Jon) and have worked as a
qualified nurse since 2007. I
first worked on the wards and
then as a charge nurse in a
prison in Worcestershire. After
leaving this job, I took a job in
cancer research working at
the Alexandra Hospital. I have
now worked in research for
two years and my passion lies
within primary care and
research. I am excited to be
starting a new role primarily
working in these fields and
look forward to meeting you
all, and working closely with
you to provide a better
service for the public.
My name is Susan (Shuxia)
Zhao. I have just joined the
Clinical Research Network:
West Midlands as a research
nurse, having already had 13 years
NHS hospital, intermediate and
primary care experience, and
am very comfortable using
my skills in a clinical practice
setting. I have 7 years of
academic credit in Nursing
and Health Science and
achieved my MSc Health
Science (Research Methods)
Degree in 2002 at Northumbria
University. Research studies in
primary care are my long-term
interest and career aspiration;
my current role will connect
my research knowledge and
nursing experience together
and I very much look forward
to contributing my knowledge
and skills to this area in my
future career.
Hello. My name is Sarah
Joshi and I am really happy
to have joined the Clinical
Research Network. I am new
to Primary Care research and
have been enjoying the variety
of studies that I have been
involved in so far. My whole
career prior to having a break
to raise my two young
children had primarily been
spent in Oncology. Initially I
was working on busy
oncology and haematology
wards, bone marrow
transplant unit and hospice
care before finally venturing
into the community as a
MacMillan Clinical Nurse
Specialist in Palliative Care.
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Continuing Professional Development
Masters and Continuing
Professional Development
Health Research
Postgraduate Study: Certificate/Diploma/Masters (MSc)
Warwick Medical School’s postgraduate level courses
have been developed in response to changes in continuing
professional development and are ideal for busy healthcare
professionals who require the flexibility to study at a pace and
level that suits their needs.
The Health Research programme provides training for those intending to
go on to a career that includes health-related research. This includes those
wanting to undertake high quality research as part of their professional
practice in healthcare and those aiming for a PhD.
The course has been
challenging but
thoroughly worthwhile…
The staff and lecturers
have been brilliant...
I am looking forward to
my second year.
Catherine Richmond,
Research Associate
For further information please contact:
T: +44 (0)24 765 72958
E: cpdenquiries@warwick.ac.uk
Warwick Medical School
The University of Warwick,
Coventry, CV4 7AL
www.warwick.ac.uk/wms
The programme is carefully structured, developed and delivered by experts
in their field of research, often drawing on individual research experience.
It covers research methods, statistics and broader research skills. You will
learn to systematically review research literature, critically evaluate evidence,
develop research questions and apply a range of research approaches and
skills relevant to research in health sciences. If you choose to complete the full
Masters qualification, you will conduct an independent piece of research on
a health topic of your choice with the support of an experienced dissertation
supervisor.
Offering an extensive module list
— UReCA: Understanding Research and Critical Appraisal in Healthcare
— Epidemiology and Statistics
— Sociology of Health, Health Policy, and the Social Determinants of Health
— Qualitative and Comparative Research Methods in Health
— International Health Policy
— Design, Analysis and Interpretation of Epidemiological Research
— Mixed Methods for Health Research
The course provides participants with invaluable skills and ensures they leave
the programme with the confidence and knowledge needed to progress a
career in health research.
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