Research

Updated Apr 2024

Clinical Research

Clinical Research is a core function of the NHS which helps drive innovation and maintain high standards of patient care. Shore Medical takes part in research which enables us to offer our patients access to new and improved treatments, interventions and medicines which ultimately helps us to develop a wider evidence base across primary care.

Dr Alex Todd is our Research Lead at Shore Medical and he is supported by the Research Team which includes dedicated research nurses and a Project Co-ordinator. Everyone working on Research Studies has completed Good Clinical Practice for Research (GCP) training to ensure we comply with principles set out by the UK policy framework for health and social care research.

The Department of Health set up The National Institute for Health and Research (NIHR) to fund, enable and deliver world-leading health and social care research to improve people’s health and wellbeing and promote economic growth. At a local level, Shore Research works with the Wessex Clinical Research Network (CRN) which provides infrastructure and support to promote high quality research across our area. The NIHR CRN Primary Care Strategy clearly outlines how to promote and facilitate high quality research within the Primary Care setting. (NIHR Clinical Research Network Primary Care Strategy 24 Feb 2022 v1.0)

https://local.nihr.ac.uk/lcrn/wessex/

The Adam PracticeWe also work with other local surgeries as part of a collaboration across Dorset as part of the Dorset Primary Care Clinical Research Group (DPCCRG) with the aim of increasing opportunities for our patients to take part in a wider range of studies. In particular, we work closely with The Adam Practice. This means that some of the studies we are taking part in may involve our research participants being seen at The Adam Practice. Shore research staff will see research participants at our Research Clinic at Lilliput surgery, or sometimes they may be seen by either Shore Research or Adam Practice Research teams at The Adam Practice research clinic at their Upton Surgery.

PCCRG Collaboration leaflet – v1_06 – Jun24

There are a number of ways in which you can become involved in research studies within Shore Medical;

  • The Research Team at the practice may look at your record to determine whether you are suitable to be invited for a research study. If you are identified as a suitable participant, a doctor or nurse may talk to you about a particular study relevant to your health and ask whether you would be interested in taking part. You may be sent information by SMS text, through the post or by email
  • You may read about studies on our website or in our waiting room
  • You can register an interest in becoming involved in research studies through the national Be Part of Research website, Be Part Of Research (nihr.ac.uk)

The studies we undertake have all received approval from the Health Research Authority (HRA) to ensure they are safe to perform. If studies involve a new medication or a new medical device, then they will also have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw from a research study at any time. Your care will not be affected in any way should you decide not to take part. The consent process ensures you receive clear information about what taking part would involve and you have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details.

Shore Medical is currently working with a research technology partner known as uMed. Their accredited platform enables us to provide you with research opportunities that are highly relevant to your health circumstances.

Without the use of uMed’s technology we may not have the time to find and engage patients that meet the requirements of the studies. This would therefore mean many patients would miss out on their chance to participate in ground-breaking research.

For further information on uMed please visit their website at www.umed.io or email patientsupport@umed.io

For research queries, please contact: Research.shore@nhs.net or telephone 01202 545195

For further patient information please visit the NHS Health Research Authority website: Patient Data and Research leaflet – Health Research Authority (hra.nhs.uk)

Open Studies

RELOAD

A study assessing the feasibility of collecting voice and breathing sounds using a mobile phone and using this data to see if this can predict clinical progression in people with respiratory tract infections. Two groups of patients will be enrolled; 1) people who are happy to provide data when they have no symptoms, and then again if they go on to develop a chest infection. And 2) patients who have a chest infection and are happy to provide data during their current chest infection.

For more information:
please visit the RELOAD website reloadstudy.co.uk
or view this flyer: RELOAD Flyer V2.0 30.1.24

Starting: Apr 2024
Ends: Dec 2024

TIGER

Many parents of children with eczema worry that food allergy is the underlying cause. Some parents may restrict certain food without professional advice. This study is looking at whether dietary advice based on food allergy tests improve disease control compared with standard of care in young children with eczema (aged 3 months to 2 years).

Starting: Apr 2024
Ends: 2025

www.bristol.ac.uk/eczema-allergy-study

FREEDM2 Study

This randomised controlled study is being conducted to determine if use of the FreeStyle Libre 3 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (intervention group) helps improve glucose control compared to self-monitoring of blood glucose (control group) in adults with Type 2 diabetes who use basal (long acting or background) insulin and other glucose lowering medications.

We are working on this as a collaboration between Shore Medical and The Adam Practice.

Starting: Aug 2023
Ends: Dec 2024

http://www.freedm2.co.uk/

ATHENA

This study is for people over 50 years old and have just been diagnosed with Shingles. Some people can have “nerve pain” for months after the shingles rash has gone; this study is looking to see if giving a low dose of amitriptyline early on after shingles appears, can help to prevent the long-term nerve pain.

Started 2023
Ends: Ongoing

https://athena-study.bristol.ac.uk/about-the-study/

RELIEF

Study to determine clinical & cost effectiveness and acceptability of replacing short-acting beta agonists inhalers containing salbutamol, with inhalers containing inhaled steroid/formoterol in patients with mild asthma treated with low dose inhaled steroid maintenance. The study will look at the time to first severe exacerbation of asthma

Starting: July 2024
Ends: 2025

DURATION UTI

A study aiming to find the shortest antibiotic treatment duration needed to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women effectively. It will also look at the impact of each antibiotic and treatment duration on antibiotic resistance in bacteria found in the patient’s urine.

Starting: June 2024
Ends: Dec 2024

REFLEX

This study is comparing different ways to test for fatty liver disease in patients with Type 2 Diabetes, compared to the usual standard of care. Patients will be randomised to have a liver scan at baseline, or after 12 months, and will also have a blood test and complete a short questionnaire.

Starting: Sept 2024 (enrolling for 3 months)
End: Dec 2024

Studies closed to recruitment but still ongoing

ATTACK

This study is being led by the University of Southampton and is investigating whether patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) should take aspirin daily to help to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Patients were randomised to either take low dose aspirin or no aspirin (current standard care)

Expected end date: Sept 2024

6 in 1 Vaccine Study

This study is looking at evaluating a new immunisation dosing schedule for infants at 12 months and beyond. We are a Participant Identification Centre (PIC) for the Adam Practice, so any participants enrolled will be seen at their Upton Surgery for study visits.

Starting: Feb 2024
Ends: tbc

TEMPLE

This is a randomised study evaluating the safety and tolerability comparing 2 different types of medication given as preventive treatment for migraine

We are working on this as a collaboration between Shore Medical and The Adam Practice.

Starting: Feb 2024
Ends: Sept 2024

www.templemigrainestudy.com

RCGP Research & Surveillance Centre Practice

This practice is one of over 1900 practices in England and Wales contributing pseudonymised data for national research and surveillance. This data enables continuous monitoring of infections and diseases in the community and is used in ethically approved research. The Oxford RCGP RSC is the main source of information for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and helps with prediction and management of flu outbreaks and pandemics. Providing pseudonymised data does not affect patients, their care or privacy, however if you no longer wish to allow your information to be used please speak to your GP.

Studies coming up in 2024

Discover Me

This study aims to create a dynamic resource of demographic, health and genetic data to enable analyses to understand clinical disease progression and risk prediction in Primary Care. It aims to enrol up to 100,00 individuals across the UK. The study uses a platform which allows dynamic consent which allows patients to have control of, and actively engage in, their current and future participation in both the study itself and in future research.

Starting: Q3 2024

Other Research Projects

Cytoprime Pilot

Although this is not a research study, Shore is one of only 2 PCNs in Dorset who are taking part in an exciting pilot project using the Cytosponge, (a small capsule sponge), which may help to identify Barrett’s Oesophagus or cancerous oesophageal cells.

Patients who are over 50 & have been taking a specific type of medication called PPI (eg Omeprazole, Lanzoprazole) for reflux for over 6 months are being offered “heartburn health checks” from now until the end of April 2024. We are hoping to enrol 50-100 patients.

Starting: Jan 2024
Ends: Jul 2024

Results from Previous Studies

We will post updates and/or results from studies we have worked on in the past, as and when this data becomes available to us.

With larger studies, results may not be published for several months after the last participant has finished their last involvement in the study.

If you are interested in finding out any further information about any of our studies, or simply would like to ask us what is involved in taking part in research, please contact the Shore Research Team at Lilliput on 01202 545195.

Taking part in research is always voluntary, but discovering new treatments and medication, how they work and what works best, cannot progress without the valuable contribution of our patients. Thank you to all those who take part.

Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD)

Shore Medical is signed up to CPRD, this is a real-world research service supporting retrospective public health and clinical studies. CPRD is jointly sponsored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and National Institute for Health and Research, as part of the Department of Health and Social Care. CPRD collects anonymised patient data from a network of GP practices across the UK. For more than 30 years, research using CPRD data and services has informed clinical guidance and best practice, resulting in over 2,800 peer-reviewed publications investigating drug safety, use of medicines, effectiveness of health policy, health care delivery and disease risk factors. CPRD only receives and supplies anonymised patient data and complies with robust ethics, governance and security regulatory frameworks.