New to Research Engagement
Page lasted updated 09 January 2024
What will you find on this page?
What research is
A study aims to answer a question, in this case about best care approaches, using a carefully designed method.
How to use this section
Discover a range of resources and tools that explain what research is and how it fits into the healthcare landscape. You will also find further information on the National Institute for Health Research, which might be helpful when explaining to colleagues what your role entails.
Useful Links
When we show up to the present moment with all of our senses, we invite the world to fill us with joy. The pains of the past are behind us. The future has yet to unfold. But the now is full of beauty simply waiting for our attention.
Our place in the UK research landscape [broken link to deleted NIHR webpage]
What is health and care research? [link to BPoR]
What is Health & Care Services Research Engagement?
When we show up to the present moment with all of our senses, we invite the world to fill us with joy. The pains of the past are behind us. The future has yet to unfold. But the now is full of beauty simply waiting for our attention.
The purpose of NHS and Wider Care Settings engagement is to support the delivery of NIHR Portfolio research. It also serves to develop longer term strategic relationships with the health and care system, supporting risk mitigation and identifying new business and customers.
Network Research Engagement aligns with commitments made in the NHS Constitution; namely that clinical research is seen as a key component of standard NHS front line activity. Research supports and underpins increasingly complex pathways of care that are core to the NHS and it is important that NHS staff recognise the importance of research as being the bedrock of the NHS and what support exists to enable research to happen.
Research Engagement should be built around the following aims and include the following activity:
Building and maintaining relationships with health and care providers
Understanding the research needs of the health and care service and its patients or service users
Articulating a clear offer of Network Support
Finding opportunities to work together collaboratively and for mutual benefit
Tailored communications to the health and care setting and service
Offering opportunities for health and care professionals, service users and carers to get involved in research
Barriers to Research Engagement
Several barriers that are commonly encountered when promoting, establishing, or delivering research in NHS, include:
Overall organisational culture
Lack of recognition of research staff as contributors to the organisation
Poor care staff and management knowledge of research
Staff time at all levels to support research
The level of integration of research in communications, systems, and processes within NHS organisational infrastructure
Training a busy fluid workforce
Actual or perceived misalignment of or complexity of research systems and processes leading to slower progress
Gatekeeping by care staff (access to patients)
Lacking dedicated research space
Best Practice in Research Engagement
The survey showed that when promoting, establishing or delivering research in NHS care several approaches work well. These include:
Investment in building strong working relationships over time
Strong team working and leadership.
Presence in and engaging inside clinical teams
Thanking, acknowledging and feeding back to care staff the results of their contribution to studies
Timely and supportive communications with care staff (about studies on the way).
Raising awareness of Research in a busy care environment.
Driving new research that clearly adds value at the site.
Health & Care Engagement Team
The Network Health & Care Engagement Team provides strategic national support to Network staff wanting to engage local health and care services. Find out more about our team and what we do.
Influencing and making a case for research
Health and care research is finding out what works best for people who have health and care needs in specific areas through a ‘study’.
How to use this section
This topic is compiled of useful links, videos and reports from various sources. The resources exhibit just how important research is to improving patient care. You may wish to use this section as a reference point when engaging locally through videos and presentations, or simply to build your own personal awareness of the evidence base for the link between research and better patient care.
Clinical Research is Everyone's Future
To engage with such a variety of care services can be challenging and perceptions of research are not always correct and these most often often separate research from care as almost unrelated activities.
'Clinical Research is Everyone's Future' is a short video designed for very busy people and provides some of the basic information about clinical research. It can be useful for frontline care staff and mangers to get a quick introduction to what clinical research is and how it works.
Useful Tips
How do we engage with non-research colleagues about the benefits of research? In a busy, stretched health and care service, staff are focused on immediate care needs such as elective recovery and workforce, and ‘research’ can seem like an 'extra' thing only if there is time, but not a priority.
Start with what we have in common and talk about 'best care through research.' This immediately makes a link.
Celebrate with care staff how as trained people they already use research, thus drawing attention to how important research is to best patient care.
Videos
How are COVID-19 vaccines being developed so quickly?
A lot of people have said they are concerned about getting a coronavirus vaccine due to the speed at which they have been made. Here are five reasons why people...
Why research matters at Imperial
Staff at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust outline how research can improve patient care and outcomes.They also explain how staff can get involved in res...
Useful Documents and Presentations
This report summarises the findings of a survey carried out in early 2020 examining the research activity of RCP members. It makes recommendations for NHS trusts, NIHR, NHS England and other research organisations on how they can improve access to research for physicians, particularly for underrepresented groups such as women, rural physicians and those from BAME backgrounds.
Report Research Delivery Staff Survey V1.0 20200407 RS.pdf0IuQ9wD7Dn-JfvNR-Research Delivery Staff Learning Community PowerPoint.pptxUseful links
AMS Report - Transforming health through innovation: Integrating the NHS and academia
RAND Europe Report: Enabling NHS Staff to Contribute to Research
Delivering research for all: expectations and aspirations for the NHS in England
Incorporating Research into CQC Assessments
NHS 10 Year Plan - Research and innovation to drive future outcomes improvement
Emerging Lessons From COVID-19 for the US Clinical Research Enterprise
Research for Patient and Public Benefit
Research can help improve the quality of care, and people often value the opportunity to participate in research, whether clinical trials or other studies.
How to use this section
In the complex world of research, the common thread that intersects each part is that the patient is always central to what we do. Although this community doesn’t focus on public engagement specifically, it is vital that frontline research delivery staff are fully aware of the resources and information available for the participants of their studies.
In this subsection you will find tools for supporting work in patient participation, including anecdotes from our public Research Champions and a link to the Be Part of Research website, the NIHR’s interface between research and the public.
These are useful statistics when having discussions on what is in the best interests of patients. It shows that patient choice is very important with respect to research as well as care pathways. There is a range of reason why patients might want to take part, so gatekeeping by health professionals should become choice giving.
Research Ready Communities
Please click the image above to find out more!
Mind the Digital Gap
When asking health and care services to offer research opportunities to their patients, service users and carers remember to bear in mind that the move to digitalise communication methods has the potential to marginalise some specific groups. Click here to find out more!
Videos
Why Be Part of Research?
Thousands of people every year take part in research and have a very positive experience. Find out why it's so important that we all think about being part o...
Ask me about research
Healthcare professionals are often the first port of call for patients who are interested in research. This short animation includes some of the information ...
Supporting health research to improve patient outcomes
Paul Charlton speaks about his journey in healthcare research, and describes his experience of being a patient representative on the CQC Project Board
Useful Links
When we show up to the present moment with all of our senses, we invite the world to fill us with joy. The pains of the past are behind us. The future has yet to unfold. But the now is full of beauty simply waiting for our attention.