Research is key to developing new treatments, and finding better ways to manage health conditions for all.
The NIHR’s Be Part of Research service helps people to find out more about research they they could be part of.
Watch this short video to find out more.
What is a clinical trial?
A clinical trial compares the effects of 1 treatment with another. It may involve patients, healthy people, or both.
A clinical trial, also called a research study, can be many things. They can mostly be categorised as:
- An observational study. This is usually when a researcher is specifically observing the effects of a course of treatment.
- An interventional study. This is when a researcher provides a course of treatment to a patient. This could be medicine, performing specific procedures or using new devices or equipment.
Stage 1 – A clinical trial is designed by the researcher and then authorised by its sponsor (the organisation which allows the study to occur) and by the local research ethics committee. Once this permission is received, it can then be ‘set-up’ where the study will be delivered.
Stage 2 – The next stage is the ‘recruitment’ stage. This refers to when a patient is approached by a member of the research team and asked if they would like to take part in the study. This is called ‘Consent’. Once consent is taken, the patient is then called a ‘Research Participant’. Depending on the rarity of the condition, this stage of the study could take several years as each study has a number of patients – a target – that they will aim to recruit.
Stage 3 – When a study becomes closed to recruitment, it then goes into its ‘follow-up’ stage. This is where all of the data is collated and the findings of the study are confirmed.
What happens on a study?
The NIHR website has lots of detail and the answers to frequently asked questions on their website.
Find out what to expect on a study
How to take part
The NIHR Be Part of Research Website provides easy to understand information about clinical research trials running in the UK, and gives you access to a large range of information about these trials. It is designed to enable you and your clinician to locate and contact trials of interest to you.
If you are interested in taking part in NIHR Leicester BRC studies, you can sign up to hear from opportunities across the BRC and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust through our Research Registry.