Are you a patient, carer or member of the public who wants to get involved in research? Below are a number of ways you can!
● Use the search tool to find current research studies happening right now
● Find studies taking place near you
● Filter results easily by age, health condition etc
● Use the site on desktop or mobile
● Download, save or print the full study details so you can talk to your doctor, nurse or healthcare professional.
Once you’ve found a study, you can see all the details including who to contact and ask to take part.
Whether you have been diagnosed with a condition or not, everyone can take part in research.
Register with Join Dementia Research so that you can be told when a study starts in your area and the researchers are looking for people just like you. There's no obligation to take part in any study, but by registering, you’ll find out when new opportunities become available. The service is delivered in partnership by the NIHR, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer Scotland.
Read our Accessibility Statement.
As part of improving the research experience of those who take part in research, we approach patients and their carers on an ongoing basis, asking them to tell us about their experience of taking part in a research study; both the good and the not so great.
The Participant in Research Experience Survey is now open all year round. We hope you will give trial participants the opportunity to give their feedback at the end of their trial, by asking them to complete the survey online or by giving them the paper survey.
For those who prefer to complete the survey online, these may be useful when it comes to informing participants of the short study title and study number (IRAS or CPMS) which must be added to each survey.
Your local raw data and results can now be viewed live on the PRES dashboard via the North Thames Open Data Platform (ODP) app.
You need an ODP account to access the dashboard. If you do not have an ODP account, please visit the ODP site to set up your account.
If you have any questions, please contact us: crn.norththames@nihr.ac.uk
The online Participant in Research Experience Surveys are available below:
Participants
Please click on the relevant link below to complete the survey online.
You won’t be asked for your name or personal details and anything you say will be kept private and no one will know which answers are yours.
Online survey for ADULTS and over 16s
Online survey for children 0-6 years old
Online survey for children 7-11 years old
Online survey for children 12-15 years old
For copies of the paper survey, survey postcards or stick-and-fold copies of the survey, email crn.norththames@nihr.ac.uk.
Site staff should inform participants of the answers to the following three questions before participants complete the surveys:
Total number of responses submitted during 1st April 2021-31st March 2022
Total CRN Coordinating Centre (NIHR CRN CC) national adult responses: 25,914
Total national children and young people’s responses: 253
CRN North Thames PRES target: 2,237
CRN North Thames total responses: 1,078 **
CRN North Thames adult responses: 1,049
CRN North Thames children and young people’s responses: 29
**1,079 was the final figure submitted to NIHR CRN CC. A further 109 North Thames responses were not uploaded in time for the national data cut off for PRES 2021/22, however these have since been uploaded by CRN NT and will be included in local PRES figures and the raw data shared with the participating sites.
| Quantitative questions from adult survey | 2020/21 (n=2,331) | 2021/22 (n=1,049) |
|---|---|---|
| I would consider taking part in research again (agreed or strongly agreed) | 95% | 95% |
| The research staff have valued my taking part in the research (agreed or strongly agreed) | 92% | 94% |
| I know how to contact someone from the research team if I have any questions or concerns | 89% | 92% |
When asked, 'What was positive about your research experience?', one participant from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust said:
"Feeling as though I am making a valuable contribution to science. Meeting the lovely research people.”
When asked the same question, another participant from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust said:
“It was all positive. I understood the reasons why my input was needed. I found it interesting and challenging, and would gladly take part in research again if required.”
For a full copy of the 2021/22 CRN North Thames PRES report, email ppie.crnnorththames@nihr.ac.uk
16 May 2023
Denise Thompson speaks about taking part in the ENCORE trial, running at the Royal Free Hospital
04 November 2022
Mum Gemma Dean has enrolled her daughter Hope will be part of a ground-breaking new trial into an immunisation for a dangerous childhood virus.
20 May 2021
With so much behind her and with so much ahead to look forward to, Karen Delin reflects on the important part that research has played for her.
16 May 2021
Suresh Chand has been given a new lease of life from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis after receiving a drug he initially got as part of a clinical trial
26 February 2021
Vince Nicholas (right) with his brother Neil. Both live with the rare disease amyloidosis.
Graham Reeder, a former teacher in Southend, was experiencing symptoms such as swollen fingers and difficulty getting to sleep, before eventually being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
"Being on the trial was an amazing experience. I can understand people having reservations but I am very much one of those types of people who knows that they (the staff) are giving them (the medication) to me because they know what they are doing, and I put a lot of trust in these people, as I hope parents put a lot of trust in me when I was teaching their children.”
Research Champions help to raise public awareness about research and help to address problems, such as the lack of diversity in research participants.
By talking about research in everyday places - GP surgeries, hospital waiting rooms, community groups, patient groups, social media and amongst family and friends - we aim to make sure that everybody knows what health and care research is, what it involves and why it matters.
The role of Research Champion is nationally-coordinated and the initiative aims to build a bigger and more diverse patient research community, to reduce barriers to research participation and to support the effective and efficient delivery of research.
Research Champions include patients, carers, members of the public, and people who have taken part in a research trial before, as well as those who haven’t. Something that they all have in common is that they are passionate about getting more people involved in research so that we can develop better care and treatment for everyone.
We are keen to recruit new Research Champions and are looking for all partner trusts across North Thames to put forward names of potential Research Champions. If you have someone in mind, please contact Christine Menzies, our PPIE Manager at christine.menzies@nihr.ac.uk
To ensure the safety of our Research Champions we are currently developing a new remote Research Champions' induction and will be releasing details soon.
Have a look at these resources for Research Champions too:
and for further details, visit the national Research Champions page on the NIHR website.
