“Income generated by our involvement was invested back into the practice...”


DATA HANDLING Fortunately we have not experienced any difficulties with our research activity, but we have been careful to ensure that our clinical coding and records are kept up-to-date, and we screen every list of patients generated by the research ‘searches’ to ensure we don’t contact anyone recently bereaved or with a recent significant diagnosis, where it may be felt inappropriate to invite them at this particular time. Many practices have also been concerned about the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and how this may affect the way in which patients are invited into studies. Is individual patient consent now required to participate? The Health Research Authority (HRA) are due to issue further specific guidance on this, but it is hoped that very little will change in practice and patients can be recruited as before. Article 9 of the GDPR provides


exemptions for research carried out in the public health interest, or in helping the NHS carry out its statutory duty to ‘inform patients of research studies in which they may be eligible to participate’ (NHS Constitution 2015). Practices are encouraged to display posters, leaflets and notices on their website and new patient forms informing patients that the practice is ‘research active’ and where they can find out more information about what this means, and how to ‘opt out’ should they wish to (NHS Digital’s national data opt-out system came into effect 25 May). I now work directly for the CRN as a Primary Care Research Lead and have clinical oversight of delivery of research studies taking place in Birmingham and the Black Country. About 45 per cent of our GP surgeries are ‘research active’, and with more GPs taking on portfolio roles and looking for other interests, research delivery can provide opportunities. The CRN is adapting


its support model for primary care, taking account of changes such as the formation of large super-partnerships, federations, vanguards and other ‘new care models’. Working at scale is likely to have benefits for research activity in primary care, hopefully giving more patients the opportunity to be involved in research studies. Involvement with research benefits patients, doctors and other practice staff and is generally very easy to undertake with limited time resource and the support of a local CRN team. It’s also academically satisfying and provides relief from the demands of the day job – and, on the whole, patients are happy to take part.


Dr David Shukla is a GP Partner at Eve Hill Medical Practice in Dudley, Clinical Research Specialty Lead for Primary Care in the West Midlands and Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Applied Health Research


MDDUS INSIGHT / 13


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