The CRN adds value at this early stage by coordinating a bespoke early contact and engagement service. This service promotes the capabilities of the embedded research infrastructure within the health and care system. Alongside this promotion, we facilitate access to the latest clinical expertise and patient input to maximise the deliverability of the new research from the start. This service also includes signposting to information or national resources and sharing the latest approaches in delivering research to help to plan an efficient, optimised study for delivery in the NHS.
The CRN adds value by coordinating the identification of potential sites across the entire UK with access to the patients, staff capacity and equipment capability needed to deliver their study effectively. At this time, we help Researchers, Sponsors, R&D offices and study teams to determine research activities and outline potential costs associated with delivering research, while exploring what staff resource or facilities for the study can be supported by the CRN in those potential locations.
We also help researchers to optimise their study delivery to maximise patient access within the NHS through our effective study start-up call, so all sites are sharing key information to save time during preparations to deliver the study. This interaction also provides an opportunity for the Sponsor to provide feedback to those organisations not selected to take part; this type of feedback is critical to maintain research engagement and support future research opportunities to be available to patients and the public across the nation.
During the delivery phase the CRN adds value by funding the staff and equipment needed to deliver the activities in the protocol. Around 10,000 people working on the ground in the NHS are funded by the NIHR CRN, including Principal Investigators, Research Nurses, Research Practitioners, Allied Health Professionals and other clinical roles and support services.
Everyone involved in delivering studies in the NHS, whether they are funded by the CRN or not, is able to access our Good Clinical Practice (GCP) training, which explores the core knowledge and skills needed to deliver studies well.
We also add value by monitoring the overall performance of studies and taking a proactive approach to supporting struggling studies. Key study milestones are captured in the single research intelligence system which collates information held in the local and central portfolio management systems collectively, providing a real-time view on how the study is progressing. Visibility of this information helps everyone involved to benefit from the insight it provides, for example, which sites are progressing well and which need more help. It also helps identify trends to support delivery of future studies.
The CRN has limited involvement at this stage of the process. Sometimes more detail about a particular aspect of the study is needed during the analysis, and the researchers will ask the research sites to send them more information contained in the patients notes, for example. CRN funded research delivery staff also help to share the results of the research with the participants at their site, and to thank them for their involvement in the study. During Analysis and Publication, the CRN has limited involvement. Sometimes more detail about a particular aspect of the study is needed during the analysis, and the researchers will ask the research sites to send them more information contained in the patients notes, for example. CRN funded research delivery staff also help to share the results of the research with the participants at their site, and to thank them for their involvement in the study.