The Bridge Building Model: connecting evidence-based practice, evidence-based research, public involvement and needs led research.

The Bridge Building Model: connecting evidence-based practice, evidence-based research, public involvement and needs led research.
Res Involv Engagem 7, 77 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-021-00320-y

• The Bridge Building Model combines different concepts in healthcare research that the authors suggest belong together. The concepts are; Evidence Based Practice, where healthcare is based on the best research evidence, Evidence Based Research, where new research is developed in the context of what research already exists, public involvement in research, where service users, carers and health and social care professionals engage with research, and Needs Led Research, where new research addresses the needs of people that use healthcare services.

A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance

A new framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions: update of Medical Research Council guidance
BMJ 2021; 374 doi:n2061 30 September 2021 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n2061 

•  A framework for researchers and research funders on developing and evaluating complex interventions originally published by the UK Medical Research Council in 2000 and revised in 2006 has been updated. The framework divides complex intervention research into four phases: development or identification of the intervention, feasibility, evaluation, and implementation. Each phase has a common set of core elements—considering context, developing and refining programme theory, engaging stakeholders, identifying key uncertainties, refining the intervention, and economic considerations.
• See the new framework here.

The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan

The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery: 2021 to 2022 implementation plan
DHSC 23 June 2021

• This implementation plan sets out how the government will work with the clinical research community and the UK Clinical Research Recovery Resilience and Growth (RRG) programme delivery partners to:
• deliver a UK-wide programme of work to drive the managed recovery of multi-site studies
• deliver existing commitments to make UK clinical research delivery easier, more efficient and more effective
• begin to deliver ambitious new initiatives that will set us on the path towards realising our vision for the future of UK clinical research

The future of UK clinical research delivery [Guidance]

The future of UK clinical research delivery
DHSC 23 March 2021

• A UK vision to unleash the full potential of clinical research delivery to tackle health inequalities, bolster economic recovery and to improve the lives of people across the UK. The 5 key themes underpinning the vision are:
• clinical research embedded in the NHS
• patient-centred research
• streamlined, efficient and innovative research
• research enabled by data and digital tools
• a sustainable and supported research workforce

Partnering with frail or seriously ill patients in research: a systematic review.

Partnering with frail or seriously ill patients in research: a systematic review.
Research Involvement and Engagement. 2020;6:52. 11 Sep 2020 . doi:10.1186/s40900-020-00225-2

• A systematic review of the evidence highlighted 30 studies which studied the engagement of frail and/or seriously ill patients as research partners. IT identified a range of barriers but concludes these can be mitigated when researchers ensure that the purpose of engagement is well-defined, the timing and methods of engagement are flexible, and the practical and emotional needs of patient partners are addressed throughout the process.

Women, BAME and rural physicians struggle to access research

Women, BAME and rural physicians struggle to access research
Royal College of Physicians 27 August 2020

• A new survey from the Royal College of Physicians has found inequalities in access to research for women doctors, doctors from BAME backgrounds and those working in rural areas.

CRUK Open Lab Initiative

CRUK Open Lab Initiative
CRUK

• The CRUK Open Lab Initiative is a digital tool which connects research groups with shared interests to generate new collaborations and spark discussions. The pilot phase, which launched in April 2020, successfully paired over 50 research groups.
• The tool is now available to researchers across the UK, enabling virtual meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

NHS Research Financial Crisis due to COVID19 – Impact Statement

NHS Research Financial Crisis due to COVID19 – Impact Statement
UKRD, NHS Research & Development Forum 28 July 2020

• Around 50 NHS organisations in the UKRD community responded to a rapid survey to understand the financial impact of COVID-19 on NHS research. Responses indicate that the main concerns relate to: 1. Decreased commercial income 2. Unfunded research costs for UPH [Urgent Public Health] studies 3. Decreased charity income and future unfunded grant extensions 4. COVID19 Vaccine Trials.
• This paper aims to set out the reasons for concern, assess the impact and proposes recommendations for consideration by DHSC.
• Appendix 1: Summary of NHS Research Financial Crisis

International HTA Database

International HTA Database

• The international HTA database provides free access to bibliographic information about ongoing and published health technology assessments commissioned or undertaken by HTA organisations from around the world.
• The platform was rebuilt in 2020 and can be searched by MeSH index terms, sources and country.

Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network

Integrated Knowledge Translation Research Network

• A collection of papers exploring research co-production – conducting research with those who would use it. Also known as participatory research, engaged scholarship, collaborative research, and integrated knowledge translation (IKT).
• A defining feature of research co-production is the involvement of patients, clinicians, policy makers, and others as full members of the research team. This is done with the expectation that the resulting research is relevant, and will be particularly useful, usable, and used by knowledge users thereby optimizing research impact. 
• This cross-journal collection of concept and empirical papers considers some of the key issues currently facing the science and practice of research partnerships and collectively begins to identify elements of a research agenda for research co-production.

UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research

UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research

• The UK Standards for Public Involvement are designed to improve the quality and consistency of public involvement in research. The standards are a description of what good public involvement looks like and encourage approaches and behaviours that are the hallmark of good public involvement such as flexibility, sharing and learning and respect for each other.
• Read about the six UK standards and their supporting materials here including the new Handbook

A map of resources for co-producing research in health and social care.

A map of resources for co-producing research in health and social care. 
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) ARC West and People in Health West of England; University of Bristol and University of West of England. Version 1.2, May 2020.

• A guide for researchers, members of the public and health and social care practitioners.

The Science of COVID-19: House of Lords inquiry

The Science of COVID-19 - an inquiry
House of Lords Science and Technology Committee launched 7 Mary 2020

• The committee has launched an inquiry into various scientific and technological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at helping Government and society learn from the current pandemic and better prepare for future epidemics caused by this and other viruses. Topics include epidemiology, modelling & testing, and digital technology and data analytics.
• Call for evidence open til 30 June 2020.

Understanding and investing in healthcare innovation and collaboration.

Understanding and investing in healthcare innovation and collaboration.

Journal of health organization and management 34(4), 2020, p.469-487.

• Based on interviews with 15 clinical, academic and executive leads at a large metropolitan tertiary care hospital with an academic health services portfolio this research looks at the partnership between clinicians and academics who work together to provide high-quality care alongside research and innovation. It identifies challenges and productive conditions for innovation and collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams.

Intervention reporting of clinical trials published in high-impact cardiology journals: effect of the TIDieR checklist and guide

Intervention reporting of clinical trials published in high-impact cardiology journals: effect of the TIDieR checklist and guide
BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 05 March 2020. doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2019-111309

• The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist aims to improve research efficacy by setting standards for quality intervention reporting and reproducibility. 
• Analysis of 101 trials published in high impact cardiology journals using the checklist found that the most under-reported items were those for describing the expertise of the interventionists and for describing the location of the intervention.

Abstract

UK Health Research Analysis 2018

UK Health Research Analysis 2018
UKCRC Health Research Classification System 28 January 2020

• The fourth nationwide health research landscaping report. Analysis of more than 22,500 health and biomedical research active awards from 146 organisations accounting for an estimated expenditure of almost £4.8 billion in the calendar year 2018. Includes a summary and dashboard of individual organisations and expenditure by research category.

Enhancing the NHS-academia interface

Enhancing the NHS-academia interface
Academy of Medical Sciences 8 January 2020

• While the UK is a world leader in biomedical and health research, the Academy of Medical Sciences note the a decline in the capacity of NHS staff to engage with research and a widening gap between the NHS and academia that is preventing the research expertise and capability within the NHS from reaching its full potential.
• This report calls for the support of leaders in academia, the NHS and beyond – to achieve six key outcomes that will be essential to enhance the interface between the NHS and the UK’s academic biomedical and health research sector:

1. Creating a healthcare system that truly values research.
2. Fully integrating research teams across academia and the NHS.
3. Providing dedicated research time for research-active NHS staff.
4. Ensuring undergraduate curricula equip healthcare staff with the skills to engage with research.
5. Incorporating flexibility into postgraduate training pathways.
6. Streamlining research through joint research and development (R&D) offices.

• An accompanying report: Estimate of the economic costs and literature review of the benefits of dedicated research time for Hospital Consultants in the NHS which found evidence that dedicated research time is associated with successful research programmes and improved job satisfaction and the potential for better employee retention.

Transforming health through innovation: Integrating the NHS and academia

Transforming health through innovation: Integrating the NHS and academia
Academy of Medical Sciences January 2020

• The UK’s world-leading biomedical and health research sector has contributed to major advances in patient care, as well as to the wealth of the nation. However, NHS staff increasingly lack the capacity to engage with research, and the number of clinical academics is declining. This report explores these issues further, and calls for the support of leaders across the biomedical research landscape to achieve six key outcomes that will be essential to enhance the interface between the NHS and the UK’s academic biomedical and health research sector:
• Creating a healthcare system that truly values research.
• Fully integrating research teams across academia and the NHS.
• Providing dedicated research time for research-active NHS staff.
• Ensuring undergraduate curricula equip healthcare staff with the skills to engage with research.
• Incorporating flexibility into postgraduate training pathways.
• Streamlining research through joint research and development offices.

Discover-NOW the Health Data Research Hub for Real World Evidence in the UK

Discover-NOW - The Health Data Research Hub for Real World Evidence in the UK.
Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP)

• Discover-NOW is one of seven pioneering data hubs which will bring together NHS organisations, globally recognised academic, commercial and charity partners as well as patients and the public to revolutionise the way health information is used to treat and prevent disease in the future.
• Trusted and appropriately governed access will support partners to develop new treatments and interventions including novel clinical trial methodologies that identify new patterns and associations of disease and how to treat these effectively and the development of devices, apps and algorithms that can be tested in near real time through secure access to a de-identified data asset.

Impact and value of the NIHR Clinical Research Network

Impact and value of the NIHR Clinical Research Network 

NIHR 16 October 2019

• A report by KPMG has demonstrated that clinical research supported by the NIHR Clinical Research Networks in the three years 2016/7 to 2018/19 generated an estimated £8bn of gross value added (impacts generated through the delivery of clinical research, rather the outcomes of the research itself) and 47,467 full time equivalent jobs for the UK.