Take part in our research

If you are currently receiving treatment for a health condition, there may be opportunities for you to take part in research. What type of research you take part in, and how you take part in it, will vary depending on the study available.

We believe taking part in research can a positive experience, but we understand it’s not for everyone. If you are asked to take part in a research study, but choose not to, this will not affect your routine healthcare.

What might I have to do?

If you are asked to take part in a research study, you’ll be given a participant information sheet (PIS) that tells you more about the research, what it involves, how much time it is likely to take and all the risks and benefits of taking part. Some of the things you might be asked to do in a study, which would be outlined in the PIS, include:

• filling in a questionnaire
• keeping a diary
• giving samples of blood, skin, or other tissue
• receiving a new medicine or treatment
• being interviewed by a researcher so they can hear your views and experiences

Please take the time to fully understand everything on the PIS before committing to taking part in a study. We advise that you discuss this with your family, friends, GP, or anyone else you feel comfortable speaking to. Your doctor or a member of the research team will also be on-hand to answer any questions you may have, and we encourage you to speak to them before signing the consent form.

If you are a patient at our Trust receiving treatment for a disease or condition, and are interested in taking part in research, we advise you speak to speak to a member of your healthcare team to learn what research opportunities are available and which ones might be suitable for you to take part in.

You can also visit the Be Part of Research website, which lists research clinical trials that are currently recruiting patients, and which hospital they’re located at. For each trial, you can a summary what it’s about and find the contact details of the lead investigator or trial coordinator – these are the people to contact if you’re interested in knowing more about the trial or being referred into it. You can also discuss a trial from this website with your medical team.

Finally, if you have information about a specific trial taking place in one of our hospitals, please email us with details of the study (e.g. the title, lead investigator/ consultant’s name, condition or disease) and we can look into this  on your behalf.

Our research engagement team work with researchers, patients and the public to support their engagement, participation and involvement in research.

The team are a central point of contact for anyone interested in participating or getting involved in research. We also send information out directly to local people who have expressed their interest in getting involved.

All members of the public are welcome to sign up to our mailing list, especially those living in the areas we serve across east London, by emailing the team or Tweeting theam on @BartsHealthResearch.