Abstract

Objectives: To understand the experiences of a setting up a community physical activity (PA) support group that promotes the health and wellbeing of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS)

Design: A hermeneutic phenomenological methodology with a subtle realist paradigm

Setting: In person at the University of Birmingham or via Skype.  

Participants: A purposive sample of 6 individuals with MS (5 Female, 1 Male) was included. Eligibility criteria was a) attended previous PA ice breaker event, b) >18 years and c) >3 years since diagnosis

Intervention: Event bringing together individuals to discuss PA for newly diagnosed MS patients. Following this event, they chose to stay in contact and create their own support group.

Main outcome: Demographic details taken include age, gender, time since diagnosis and type of MS. The main outcome measure was a semi-structured interview with various sub-sections. Thematic analysis identified the main concepts and ideas from the interviews, and wider literature was integrated to enhance data reliability.

Results: Four major themes and nine sub themes arose from interviews, centred around individuals establishing a new social identity from group participation and being empowered to change. Group interaction is particularly significant as it occurs in a relaxed context, which is emphasised as a contrast to the clinical and disease focused healthcare environment. There are some barriers to joining, but the group has benefitted all individuals involved.

Conclusions: There is a need for policy and practice providers need to consider the value of peer support for individuals with MS.

IQVIA MRES (Medical Research Extraction Scheme)

The Clinical Research Network West Midlands is pleased to announce that we are working with IQVIA to support practices to sign up to the Medical Research Extraction Scheme.

Changes to the Research Sites Initiative Scheme

After running its current format for several years, the Research Sites Initiative (RSI) scheme is now being reviewed. With the changing primary care landscape, with practices merging and new Primary Care Networks emerging, we need to ensure that any future scheme is fit for purpose and can work with all GP practices, wherever the list size.

Fundamentals of Clinical Research Delivery

Last year the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) released a new training course called “Fundamentals of Clinical Research Delivery”, which members of the CRN WM primary care GCP facilitator working group have recently amended to make more relevant to primary care.

GARFIELD-AF

The relationship between outcomes and time after diagnosis for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is poorly defined, especially beyond the first year.

ATTACK (ASPIRIN TO TARGET ARTERIAL EVENTS IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE)

is a pragmatic multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial to determine whether the addition of low-dose aspirin to usual care reduces the risk of major vascular events in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who do not have pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

enhancing The Health Of NHS Staff

eTHOS is a multicentre, randomised controlled pilot trial of an employee health screening clinic for NHS staff. The aim of this NIHR funded trial is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a complex intervention in reducing absenteeism and presenteeism in NHS staff, comparing a hospital-based staff health screening and referral clinic with usual care.