Public volunteers to highlight their role in improving care for patients at Sheffield Consumers in Research event

Mar 27 2015

RESEARCH-active members of the public are to showcase how their vital work helps shape clinical research projects and improves care for patients at a free drop-in event in Sheffield City Centre on Wednesday 22 April.

The Clinical Research Office team from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Sheffield Consumers in Research event takes place at the Circle between 12pm and 3pm, and will be a key opportunity for members of the public and patients to find out more about getting involved in research.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s research department runs 12 patient and public involvement panels that are dedicated to ensuring the patient’s perspective is embedded into ongoing research projects in key disease areas.

The panels encourage an open debate between researchers, clinicians, and patients, and cover a wide range of key health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health, dementia and bone disease.

During the event, which takes place at the Circle between 12pm and 3pm, patients and public will be able to visit a marketplace of stands and stalls, talk to staff from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  and the NIHR Sheffield Clinical Research Facility, and gain valuable insights from likeminded professionals, researchers and clinicians about how their input can shape key clinical trials and research questions.

Attendees can also find out more about how they can get involved in the establishment of a local Genomic Medicine Centre and the Join Dementia Research project. The  Genomic Medicine Centre will be one of eleven game-changing centres set up around the country to gather DNA samples to help devise targeted treatments for a wide range of diseases, including cancer and rare genetic diseases. The aim is to sequence 100,000 genomes within three years in order to develop new tests and drugs. The Join Dementia Research project is a new nationwide online and telephone service that helps people take part in Dementia Research studies.

Peter Sneddon, Head of Clinical Research for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

More than nine in ten people in the region gave their backing to clinical research in a recent national survey, so working in partnership with members of the public and patients to understand their research needs and priorities is really important. There’s lots of exciting ways people can get involved, which doesn’t necessarily involve taking part in a clinical trial, and your views and input would be very much welcomed by our researchers and clinicians.

Over 7,000 patients took part in clinical research at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust between 2013/14.

Lynne Dawson, 47, of Ecclesfield, was diagnosed with diabetes in 2009. As well as putting herself forward for a number of clinical trials at the Trust, she also sits on a diabetes panel to advise on the recruitment of trial patients and identify research priorities. “I appreciate how important it is for research to happen across any discipline – but particularly within the health sector. I saw a poster at my GP’s surgery, asking for volunteers and it sounded like a good way to influence treatments and research for diabetes. Being part of an advisory panel gives me the chance to put forward the patient point-of-view, which is important in research.”

One study she took part in aims to find out why people suffer hypo unawareness, which is where individuals with type one diabetes are frequently unable to notice when they have low blood sugar. Loss of hypo awareness can be troubling, and at times dangerous, so taking steps to regain awareness of hypo-warning signs is important for patients.

Lynne says:

Research like this won’t only help me, but others. In 10 to 20 years’ time I may be affected by something like loss of hypo awareness – which is a scary thought. If we contribute to research like this then we can help to combat these problems in the future. I would definitely recommend other people to get involved. As a patient you have a better understanding of treatments available to you, so you can make better informed decisions about your own health care.

The Sheffield Consumers in Research Event will take place at the Conference Suite, The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S1 4FW, drop in anytime between 12pm to 3pm.