Research

Highcliffe Medical Centre takes part in research commissioned by the NHS to help improve patient care and treatment.

Why is Highcliffe Medical Centre taking part in research studies?

Research trials are being conducted throughout the NHS and have helped us to understand more about disease prevention, treatment, and cure. Running research in GP practices is essential to further develop medical understanding and improve healthcare for patients now and also for future generations.

What could I be asked to do if I take part in a research trial?

Each trial conducted looks at a particular area of healthcare. You may be asked to complete questionnaires, take part in interviews, collect information about certain conditions to learn more about them, or trial a new intervention or treatment, or any combination of the above!

Taking part in research is completely voluntary, and you have the right to withdraw from any study at any time if you feel it is not right for you. This would not impact any of the medical care you receive.

Eligibility and Taking Part

If you might be eligible to take part in a research trial we are running, we may contact you by sending you a text message, phoning you, or sending you some information in the post about the trial. Taking part in any research trial is completely voluntary, and it will not impact your care. You can also withdraw from a research trial at any time if you feel it is not right for you.

If you would be interested in taking part in any of the above studies, please contact the practice.

The current studies we are recruiting to are:

APRIL

Ayurveda for Promoting Recovery In Long COVID (the APRIL Trial).

This study is being sponsored by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It is looking for patients who have been diagnosed with Long Covid disease, to see if Ashwagandha can improve functional status, quality of life and symptoms in adults suffering from Long COVID in the UK.

TOUCAN

The TOUCAN study (plaTform fOr Uti diagnostiC evaluation) is being sponsored by the University of Oxford.

The study is testing new devices that aim to tell GPs whether you have a urinary tract infection.

For full details, visit the TOUCAN trial webpage

DEFINE

The DEFINE study (Determining the Effectiveness of an online FeNO-guided asthma management INtervEntion in primary care) is run from the University of Oxford.

The study is looking to find out whether using the FeNO test during asthma reviews can help improve care for asthma patients and reduce costs to the NHS.

We need people with an asthma diagnosis 12 years and over who have their asthma review at their GP surgery.

For full details, visit the DEFINE trial website

ATHENA

This surgery is supporting the ATHENA shingles study. We want to find out if taking amitriptyline can prevent the persistent pain that some people get after shingles.

50 years or older and recently got shingles? You may be able to take part. Ask your doctor for more information.

For full details, visit the ATHENA study webpage