NIHR Workshop on Research into Primary Care Interventions

NIHR Workshop on Research into Primary Care Interventions 12 February 2013

Session One: Research in Primary Care 12 February 2013

Engaging and Supporting Primary Care Research: RDS David Crook PhD (Research Design Service SE) 12 February 2013

How the PCRN can help you • Local knowledge of complexities and difficulties of 1y care recruitment and retention • Unrivalled knowledge of what NIHR will fund • Investment in 1y care research infrastructure • practices signed up to deliver feasibility work • GCP training • ‘Research Ready’ certification of practices • databases of practices and their interests • Ability to cross barriers • geographical, 1yvs. 2y, NHS vs. social care etc

RDS versus PCRN? RDS . . . provides help for researchers to prepare proposals for submission to NIHR and other national, peer-reviewed funding competitions for applied health or social care research by providing expert advice on research design and methodology. PCRN . . . provides researchers with practical support they need to make clinical studies happen in a primary care setting in the NHS, so that more research takes place [. . .] and more patients can take part. http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/Home.aspx; http://www.crncc.nihr.ac.uk/about_us/pcrn

UK Health Research Support • RDSUs and other organisations were good in some regions, less good in others • statistics support a postcode lottery? • emphasis on training up researchers • Best Research for Best Health (2006): • the DH commits to providing NHS research support and infrastructure, involving a major shake-up of RDSUs and 1y care networks

The RDS Network • 10 RDS in England, based on SHA • Official brief: to increase the number of high quality grant applications for applied health research • A tool to modify behaviourof health researchers? • Now starting to work together and share best practice

Contacting your RDS googleNIHR RDS and click the site at the top of the list click on map for your local RDS details phone up and chat or book online for a meeting

Working with your RDS • Face-to-face meetings really help start things off • May involve a trip to a University, Medical School or NHS Trust or they may come and visit you • look out for RDS ‘clinics’, CLRN Specialty Group meetings etc • First contact is often with a ‘generalist’, other team members being brought in later on • Are they advising pro bono or are they looking to be a paid co-applicant?

The Initial Assessment • Who is this person, what do they want out of me? • Can they describe their proposal on a side of A4? • Are colleagues supportive, do they need a mentor? • Is the proposed work interesting/plausible/timely? • Is their target scheme appropriate? • Do they need specialist input (statistics, user involvement, health economics)? • NIHR funds: do they know how to effect change?

Work with both RDS and PCRN • Contact your RDS as early as possible to: • develop your idea into an outline proposal suitable for registering your interest with the PCRN • help identify potential local/national collaborators • expand your team as appropriate e.g. statistical support, health economics, clinical trial design • develop user involvement for the bid and the project • If your project involves/may involve 1y care and the RDS does not bring this up, then just ask

Final Thoughts • the RDS tells you how many patients you will need • the PCRN tells you where you might find them • the RDS suggests you work with networks/organisations • the PCRN gives you the names you need • the RDS helps you select recruitment strategies • the PCRN will tell you which ones might actually work

Thank you 12 February 2013

NIHR Workshop on Research into Primary Care Interventions