Clinical Research Network
Brockwood Medical Practicecarries out research in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research arm of the NHS.
You can find out more about the NIHR here:
We are grateful to the patients and carers who can give their time and commitment to help with medical research.
We are regularly signing up to new studies when we are notified of them and this opens many opportunities for research at our practice. Please contact thislink: you are interested in taking part in a study as there may be one suitable for you! Alternatively, if you wish to discuss anything related to research please speak to Andrea Brown, Clinical Trial Supervisor at Brockwood Medical Practice, Brockham site on T: 01737-843259.
A new study called CLASP has opened and the aim of this study is to evaluate an online intervention offering lifestyle and wellbeing support for cancer survivors in Primary Care called Renewed. We have identified a group of patients for this study and already have some signed up to take part.
We have one of the poorest cancer survival records among developed countries and quality of life is poor, with high levels of distress and fatigue. We need efficient and effective ways to help, that could widely and easily be put into routine practice. The study team in Southampton has been funded by NIHR to develop and evaluate an internet-based Intervention that will assist change in the way GP practices offer support (lifestyle changes and wellbeing support) to cancer survivors. The current project aims to use iterative qualitative research and consultation to ensure it is viewed as acceptable and useful by patients and primary care staff throughout the early stages of development. The research design is a series of qualitative studies (interviews and focus groups) with around 60 patients and 30 health professionals. After giving informed consent participants will be asked to share their thoughts and feelings about early versions of the intervention and any issues that it raises for supporting cancer survivorship within primary care.
Caring for Carers
Pilot randomised control trial of Positive Written Disclosure for Older Adult Carers of people with psychosis
Sometimes people experiencing psychosis need help and support to complete their daily activities. This care is mostly provided by family and friends, who tend to be in their 7-8th decade. Caregiving can be both emotionally and physically demanding, and limit the caregivers ability to engage in work or leisure activities. It is important that caregivers are supported in a way that fits around their caring responsibilities. We would like to know whether Positive Written Disclosure (PWD – a type of writing therapy) improves the wellbeing of caregivers of people with psychosis. The recruitment for this study has closed and we will let you know the outcome of the study in due course.
VACCEPT
Some types of HPV (Human Papillomavirus), called high-risk, are the main cause of cancer of the cervix (cervical) but only if the HPV infection does not go away. HPV types 16 and 18 are found in around 7 out of 10 cervical cancers. Vaccines that can stop you getting HPV16 and 18, and so protect you against cervical cancer, are in use across the world. A newer HPV vaccine also protects from extra HPV types found in around 9 out of 10 cervical cancers. These vaccines are best given before you ever have sex. They may still work if you have had sex but not caught the HPV types in the vaccine. In the UK girls aged 12 and 13 years can have the vaccine in school. Older women cannot have the vaccine on the NHS at the moment. Giving women aged 25 to 45 years the vaccine could stop some of them getting cervical cancer. We don’t know exactly how much cancer could be stopped because very few older women have had the vaccine in this country. We also do not know if women would want to have the vaccine. We plan to ask women about this in an online survey. The aim is to find out if UK women aged 30-45 having a smear test would have the vaccine if it was offered to them. We want to understand who would say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the vaccine. We also want to know what women know about HPV and how they find out about it. This survey has been written by a team of European researchers called the CoheaHr Consortium and will be given to women in 11 countries in Europe. Women who complete the survey will remain anonymous. This means no one will know who they are. This study is now closed to recruitment. We will update you on the results of this trial when they are available.
The BARCODE 1Pilot Studyis still ongoing and aims to investigate how we can use our knowledge of genetics to identify men at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. The team at The Royal Marsden is also researching whether or not a genetic profile may be used as a tool to identify men at higher risk so that they can be offered prostate cancer screening in order to pick up an early stage cancer that would be treatable and curable. Invitations have been sent out to all eligible men in the practice and the response has been good.
A few of our patients with type 2 diabetes are participating in the TriMaster Study. The researchers are trying to match the right diabetes medicine to the right patient. In the study they will give three regularly prescribed diabetes treatments, in rotation, to patients and see which works best for them. This information will help choose the most effective medicine for patients in the future. Updates on this study to follow.
The Pain_OMICS study has come to an end. We achieved our target of participants for this study. This has been a European funded programme involving 11 centres around Europe, the US and Australia. Genetic, biochemical and pharmacological data from over 5000 patients with lower back pain has been collected (via blood samples) in order to identify genetic variants associated with chronic lower back pain as well as “omics biomarkers”. Low Back Pain affects 60-70% of adults in industrialised countries and has a significant impact on a patient’s quality of life both socially and physically. The researchers at King’s College London are challenged to identify suitable biomarkers to help with diagnostic and prognosis. Eligible patients were identified on an ad-hoc basis when they visited the GP with back pain.
We would like to say thank you to everyone that has taken part/is currently taking part in one of our trials.
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Studies can vary from observational projects, questionnaire studies, uses of new medication and longer term research following patients with various conditions for many years. Such studies may aim to help with the development of treatments, pathways of care and improving patient care.
Research is important to patients because it can help work out which treatments work better for which patients. Although patients may not directly benefit from taking part in research themselves, they may help inform better healthcare for future patients.
The "I Am Research" campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of research and the positive impact it has on people's lives. You can read more about this here:
And more about patient, carers and public involvement in research here: