The Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust Neurology Research Team have recruited a joint first UK patient to a multiple sclerosis study. The study is led by Principal Investigator, Dr David Rog; with support from research nurses Soka Silweya and Helena Prady.
TERI-PRO is a Phase 4 study using teriflunomide, which due to NICE guidelines has recently become available as one of the newer oral disease modifying treatments.
The Neurology Research Team have well established links with the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Team’s consultants and specialist nurses, and attend clinics and governance meetings to observe clinic visits and provide research updates. During consultations, patients that express an interest in clinical trials are asked if they want their details to be forwarded on to the research team. This allows them to have a database of disease-specific patients to be considered for current or future studies.
Once a suitable patient is identified for a study, the research nurse screens them against the inclusion/exclusion criteria and discusses with the clinical team to see if it’s appropriate to proceed. They’re then contacted by telephone to gauge interest and then, if appropriate, patient information is posted out. Whilst new studies are in set up, pre-screening can be carried out, although no information can be provided until the study has received all of the relevant permissions and is open to recruitment.
The team were able to recruit in a timely fashion as the MS population are very interested in research and are keen to play an active role improving their care. And the team’s database ensured they were able to call up potential participants and post out information, within three days of site initiation.
A day after the study drug arrived on site, two patients were given appointments and consented, resulting in Salford jointly being the first recruiter in the UK. The team now has four patients out of a target of six and are awaiting responses from two more participants before contacting others, so they don’t end up turning patients away, but anticipate reaching their target by early July.
The Neurology Research Team believe that keeping the clinical team informed has led to their recent recruitment successes. In last year’s Greater Manchester Clinical Research Awards, they won the award for the “Most Innovative Recruitment Strategy” for an epilepsy study which centred round working collaboratively with the clinical care team.
If you’d like to find out more about the Salford’s Neurology Research Team and see if there are any studies you might like to take part in, please contact them via:
