Putting people and partnership at the centre of clinical research

I took part in the second panel discussion of the day, ‘Priorities for improving data management and utilising innovation to improve clinical research outcomes.’ During this session we covered the digitalisation of clinical trials and platforms to improve accessibility, wearable technology and remote monitoring, and increasing collaboration between patients, research funders, the NHS and research industry. It was an inspirational event and here are my 3 main takeaways.

While we all acknowledge the significance of more collaborative working to achieve better research outcomes, it requires effort and needs to be anchored in the practicalities of service delivery. However, what struck me during this discussion was the opportunity for NHS DigiTrials, during our current pilot phases, to activate 1 or 2 key partnerships to explore and leverage our collective strengths for greater impact.

Consider, for example, a recruitment of participants for a specific clinical trial, perhaps funded by a medical research charity.  NHS DigiTrials would typically work directly with the Clinical Trial Unit, which means we may be inadvertently overlooking the valuable insights and expertise a medical research charity can offer too. This may include direct engagement with expert patient groups such as collaborating on how best to engage with patients in this clinical area, which could in turn enhance sign-up rates and ensure recruitment strategies are tailored to relevant patient populations.  The importance of patient-centric approaches was eloquently set out by Dr Sagair Hussain, Director of Research from DEBRA UK.

This way of working is an approach I will take back to the team as we discuss the new tranche of clinical trials scheduled to be onboarded over the next 18 months.

As we continued our discussions around the future of clinical trials, it became clear how important decentralised clinical trials are to improving the diversity of participants and releasing the burden on the NHS. The potential benefits are substantial.

NHS DigiTrials already supports decentralised trials as we can recruit participants from across England, regardless of their location.  One of our pilot trials, ASCEND PLUS, exemplifies this approach. It is a virtual trial that tests whether taking a daily tablet that contains semaglutide can help to protect people with type 2 diabetes from suffering heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. The 20,000 participants conveniently track their progress by completing questionnaires online or via phone, eliminating the need for 20,000 individuals to travel to an NHS clinic for monitoring.

By making further use of new technologies to remotely monitor patients, such as measuring blood pressure and blood sugar levels at home, we remove barriers that traditionally deterred individuals from participating in trials. Factors like time off work, travel expenses, and associated costs are reduced, which widens participation opportunities and encourages greater participant diversity.

As we focus on delivering the government's response to the Lord O’Shaughnessy review, it was encouraging to see the continued work from the Health Research Advisory (HRA) on People Centred Research, which identifies 9 hallmarks of what good looks like. I am also looking forward to seeing the published guidance from the HRA on how we can make it easier for people to take part in clinical trials, as this will help shape the NHS DigiTrials service going forward.  

This builds on the work NHS England, HRA and other stakeholders are doing to support the delivery of the government's vision: The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery, specifically at a local level where NHS England’s Research Engagement Network Development programme is developing research engagement networks across the 42 ICBs, with communities who are often underserved by research, read more about how we are embedding research in the NHS.

It was truly inspiring to share a platform with leaders from across the research industry, all united by a common goal: to enhance the speed and diversity of clinical trials in the UK, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes. It's crucial to be part of these discussions to ensure NHS DigiTrials evolves and aligns with the wider clinical research ecosystem and I look forward to future opportunities for the team.

Find out more about NHS DigiTrials.