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Live Clinical and Health Research
Research studies currently recruiting
We’re keen to grow and develop Clinical and Health Research into all health areas within HWHCT. Please see below and click through for research studies that are currently recruiting participants and how you can get involved. For further information please email us.
Our performance in delivering research
The Government aims to increase the number of patients who have the opportunity to participate in good quality research.
To support this, the Department of Health assesses the performance of NHS providers in setting up and engaging patients in clinical trials. The Trust is required to publish its performance four times a year.
The Trust is measured on two indicators; one is the time it has taken the Trust to start a clinical trial, and the second is its delivery of commercial clinical research, to the agreed timescales and targets.
Please click on the link below to view our performance;
https://ccfctp.nihr.ac.uk/public-trustsubmissions/worcestershire-health-and-care-nhs-trust-998
NHS staff specific research
Allied Health Professions Research
Musculoskeletal:
PANDA-S: Prognostic and Diagnostic Assessment of Shoulder pain
What is this study about?
This study will investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of introducing a personalised guided consultation to physiotherapy care, compared to current care by physiotherapists
Who can take part?
- Patients referred or self-referred to participating physiotherapy services
- aged 18 years or over
- presenting with an episode of shoulder pain.
What's involved?
- pre-consultation form (6 weeks), a personalised guided consultation (6 months) and a post-consultation form (12 months).
Mental Health
TRAUMA: run by the NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health) — just opened (Nov 2024)
What is this study about?
- The aim is to understand the impact of traumatic experiences on mental health
- This will be done by using people's experiences of trauma from adult and childhood
Who can take part?
- Need to be aged 18+
- Experienced a traumatic event in adulthood or childhood
What is involved?
- Completion of online questionnaire (with online consent) which take 10-15 minutes via this link: bit.ly/TSHWTrust
- Optional follow-up appointment
STORY: Characterising Illness Stages, Progression and Recovery Trajectories of Eating Disorders in Young People
What is this study about?
1) To understand the recovery process from eating disorders (EDs) in young people (YP) aged 16-25 by unobtrusively measuring behaviour, physiology, and daily experiences of young people in real time via smartphone apps and inbuilt sensors in smartphones and wearable devices
2) Investigate how ED biopsychosocial symptom profiles differ between early illness-stage (illness duration < 3 years) and later illness-stage (illness duration >3 years), how behavioural and neurocognitive responses change over time, and to identify the biopsychosocial markers that predict them.
Who can take part?
— aged between 16-25
— diagnosis of an ED
— ability to give informed consent
What is involved?
Participation will last for 1 year during which:
— online questionnaires and surveys will be completed on your computer or smartphone on joining the study and at 6 and 12 months
— download 2 apps to your smartphone and optionally wear a device on your fingers to measure your heart rate and sleep
— attend 2 optional assessments visits involving cognitive tasks and brain scans.
For further information and to take the screening please visit:
https://redcap-phidatalab.brc.iop.kcl.ac.uk/surveys/?s=RJCKPEELNYHYJYPC
Also don't hesitate to get in touch.
EDGI: Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative
What is this study about?
To better understand the genetic & environmental links to eating disorders & help develop better treatments.
Who can take part?
- Have experienced, or have been diagnosed with an eating disorder
- Aged 16 & above
- Lives in England
What is involved?
- Complete the online questionnaire: https://edgiuk.org/
- Provide a saliva sample
Alzheimer’s including dementia
SOCIAL - Social cognition & functioning in Alzheimer’s Dementia
What is this study about?
This study will examine the association between theory of mind impairment in Alzheimer’s disease with decline in social functioning and relationships.
Who can take part?
- Clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease dementia
- Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥20
Family/friend:
-Must see person with Alzheimer’s disease at least monthly
What is involved?
- Baseline assessment to inc social cognition, functioning and other dementia symptoms
- Follow-up assessments will take place at 4, 8 & 12 months
National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH)
What is this about?
We are trying to understand why some people experience problems with their mental health. The purpose of this study is to collect information and samples for genetic, biological, psychological and clinical research. This will allow us to look for genes and other factors which make some people more likely than others to become ill. We hope that our study will improve understanding of these conditions and help find better treatments in the future.
Who can take part?
- If you or one of your relatives have experienced a mental illness
- If neither you nor your relatives have experienced a mental illness
By comparing information from people who have experienced a mental illness with information from people who have not experienced such problems, we hope to learn more about the factors that may make some people more susceptible to these illnesses.
What is involved?
- A meeting with a member of the research team to complete a 30-60 minute assessment including patient consent
- A blood sample or if taking blood is not possible a saliva sample
- Look at your medical records to gain further details about the kinds of symptoms and treatments you have had. With permission to look at your records in the future to see if there has been any change in your health.
- May ask you if any other members of your family would like to take part as this enables us to acquire a wide base of family genetic information. However, we would only contact your relatives with your full agreement.
- For further information visit: https://www.ncmh.info/
Anxiety & Depression
Contact-GAD: Acceptance & commitment therapy (ACT) for older people with treatment resistant generalised anxiety disorder (TR-GAD)
What is this study about?
What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) plus usual care in comparison to usual care alone for reducing anxiety in older people with TR-GAD?
Who can take part?
-Aged 60
-Diagnosis of TR-GAD
What is involved?
Receive Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) – up to 14 1:1 sessions and usual care. Or receive usual care only
GLAD: Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression
UPDATE 2.4.24: healthy volunteers invited to take part too.
What is this study about?
Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. In the UK, 1 in 3 people will experience symptoms during their lifetime. The GLAD Study aims to better understand depression and anxiety in order to find effective treatments and improve the lives of people experiencing these disorders.
The study explores how our genes and the environment influence the development of anxiety and depression in order to improve future treatment. Involvement in GLAD also involves joining the NIHR Mental Health BioResource, a central library of information about people’s health made up of genetic and clinical data.
Who can take part?
— people aged 16+
— living in the UK
— people who have never experienced a mental health condition OR
— people who have experienced anxiety and depression
What is involved?
There are 4 simple steps to signing up to the GLAD Study:
- Register on the website and read the information sheet
- Provide consent
- Complete a 30 minute questionnaire to see if you are eligible
- Send a saliva DNA sample through the post
Once you have signed up to the GLAD Study, you will be able to see information on the website about a number of optional questionnaires or other research studies that are being carried out. You will be able to choose to take part in these studies should you wish to.
You can stop taking part in the GLAD Study at any time.
How to get involved?
To access the study go online here to learn more and to sign up. Remember to say you heard about the survey through Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust.
BiPolar and Related Mood Disorders
Bipolar Disorder Research Network (BDRN)
The BDRN, with team members based at Cardiff University and the University of Worcester, are conducting research into the causes of bipolar disorder and related mood disorders. The main aim is to identify susceptibility genes for bipolar and other related mood disorders. The network is hoping to improve the understanding of the causes of mood disorders and help find better treatments for the future.
The BDRN would like to hear from you if...
- you are aged 18+
- have had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (or a related mood disorder)
- have experienced one or more episodes of mania or hypermania at any time in the past.
To find out more please contact us
Learning Difficulties
MELD: Mapping and Evaluating Services for children with Learning Disabilities (LD) and Behaviours that Change (BtC) (ph.2)
What is this study about?
Find out about community based services across England that support children with a learning disability and behaviours that challenge, and their families.
Who can take part?
For services: included in ph.1 and no significant change to their service model since ph.1
For children: 0-15 years; has LD defined administratively; been referred at least in part for BtC; parents can give informed consent
What is involved?
Questionnaires for families on sign up and 12 months later.
Detailed information gathering of services and service users.
Perinatal
Maternal Wellbeing, Mental Health, and Life Experience
What is this study about?
To explore the factors that may have an effect in pregnancy and in the first year after childbirth i.e. exposure to certain life events and the effects of COVID-19 on the perinatal period.
Who can take part?
ALL women aged 18 or over who are currently within the perinatal period (currently pregnant or up to 1-year postpartum)
What is involved?
- Basic assessment online
- 2 short follow up questionnaires – date for when these are completed is dependent on when the lady was recruited either when pregnant or postnatally
To find out more please click here.
Personality disorder
Currently we have no studies in this area. Still want to learn more about getting involved in research? Please get in touch.
Psychosis including Schizophrenia
Newly opened: Service Configurations for Psychosis
What is this study about?
This study is looking at how services should be configured to make best use of formal and informal support and therapies for different people experiencing psychosis, and why.
Who can take part?
- Open to mental health service staff delievering or organising care, support or treatment to people who experience psychosis who have ideas about what helps recovery or the organisation of services to support it
- Someone who has had experience of psychosis or experiences that are like psychosis
- Friend, family members or supporter of someone who has had these experiences
- Live in the UK
What's involved?
- Attend a creative workshop about recovery
- Have an interview
- Join the study's email list or closed social media page
For further information: get in touch with us, the R&D Team in this Trust or click here to register your interest.
ADEPP: Antidepressant for the prevention of DEPression following first episode Psychosis trial
What is this study about?
- The aim of the ADEPP trial is to establish the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of an antidepressant medication (sertraline) for the prevention of a depressive episode following first episode psychosis (FEP).
- The study aims to recruit up to 452 participants over a period of 32 months from Early Intervention in Psychosis Services in the NHS Trusts across the UK.
Who can take part?
- Patients aged between 18-65 years of age
- Diagnosed with FEP (First Episode of Psychosis)
- Within 12 months of initial treatment for FEP
What is involved?
This is a multi-centre randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial with an internal pilot study.
To find out more please contact us and take a look at the study newsletter: ADEPP newsletter Jan 2024.pdf [pdf] 186KB
COVID-19
ISARIC - International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium. Clinical Characterisation Protocol (CCP) for Severe Emerging Infection - study currently paused here at HWHCT
What is this study about?
This is a study recruiting hospitalised cases of confirmed 2019 novel coronavirus infection. Standardised clinical data is being collected to improve patient care and inform the public health response.
Who can take part?
Anyone over the age of 18 who has been hospitalised with Covid 19.
What is involved?
Collecting standard clinical date for a period of time to analyse the recovery from COVID 19.
Diabetes
Health and Wellbeing
Currently we have no studies in this area. Still want to learn more about getting involved in research? Please get in touch.