CH Medical works with the research arm of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research, to promote clinical research and offer our patients the opportunity to take part in ethically approved research studies.
Research has always been at the heart of the NHS. Through research we are able to continually improve treatments and discover the best ways to prevent, diagnose and manage illnesses. It also helps us understand how to best focus NHS resources where they will be most effective.
As a patient, you may at times be offered the opportunity to be involved in research studies which the Practice has agreed to support. The Practice’s level of involvement may range from simply having identified a suitable group of people from our database for an external researcher, to being a site where research activity is carried out.
CH Medical is currently working with a research technology partner known as uMed. Their accredited platform enables us to provide you with research opportunities that are highly relevant to your health circumstances. Without the use of uMed’s technology we may not have the time to find and engage patients that meet the requirements of the studies. This would therefore mean many patients would miss out on their chance to participate in ground-breaking research. For further information on uMed please visit their website at www.umed.io or email: patientsupport@umed.io
ACCESS Registries
CH Medical is taking part in several studies known as ACCESS Registries, run by our research technology partner uMed. These registry studies follow participants over time and collect information provided by you, on your own terms, from the comfort of your own home. This provides researchers with invaluable data about different diseases and conditions. The data collection can be in the form of questionnaires, medical device data and DNA testing.
These ACCESS Registries are currently enrolling patients who have been diagnosed with the following conditions:
- Parkinson’s Disease (AccessPD registry)
- Interstitial Lung Disease (AccessILD registry)
- Cardiometabolic Disease (AccessCMD registry)
If you’d like to find out more about these studies and what would be involved if you decided to participate please contact uMed’s nurse support team at patientsupport@umed.io
The PILLAR study
The World Health Organization estimates that 65 million people worldwide have moderate to severe COPD. Although maintenance therapies are available to help maintain regular breathing, some people still have symptoms or experience exacerbations which can result in a hospital admission, even when prescribed a combination of all 3 therapies.
CH Medical Practice is taking part in the PILLAR study which aims to understand whether a new investigational add-on medication will reduce airway inflammation and improve COPD symptoms in people on maintenance triple therapy.
The study is recruiting male or female participants over the age of 40 years, with an established diagnosis of COPD. To be eligible for this study participants will have had chronic bronchitis for at least 3 months in each of the prior two consecutive years, or had a chronic productive cough within the previous year.
CH Medical Practice is working with our research technology partner uMed to invite patients to this study. If you meet the study criteria, you may receive a text message, email or letter asking whether you would like to take part. Participation is entirely voluntary and you can opt out at any time.
If you have any questions about this study please contact the uMed nurse support team at patientsupport@umed.io.
Useful information and links
Learn more about how patient information is used for health and care research on the Health Research Authority website:
https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/
Learn more about participating in research on the National Institute for Health Research website:
www.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/research-matters.htm
Read about other people’s experiences taking part in research:
www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/can-help/patients-carers-public/research-changed-my-life
Read the latest report on the patient Involvement programme: PES report
If you want to find out about other research studies taking place close to where you live, visit the UK Clinical Trials Gateway and enter your postcode: www.ukctg.nihr.ac.uk
National campaigns include: Join Dementia Research and Research for the Future
Sign up to hear about what is going on locally: www.citizenscientist.org.uk
Join a free 4 week on-line course to learn more about research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFze7Oph7Hk&feature=youtu.be
Sign up to receive information about research studies you may be interested in joining: www.researchforthefuture.org
Join a public involvement forum: www.invo.org.uk www.csipublicinvolvement.co.uk
Read about the latest developments in public participation in research: https://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/can-help/patients-carers-public/
CH Medical is currently signed up to FARSITE which provides a safe, convenient and effective way for the family GP to control the recruitment of their patients into clinical research, whilst allowing NHS-based researchers to run complex and powerful searches over anonymised population level health record data. For more details contact www.nweh.co.uk/products/farsite