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Clinical Research
The Healthwest Research Collaborative (Pembroke Road Surgery, Whiteladies Medical Group and The Family Practice) participate in a wide portfolio of studies across many disease areas.
Below is a list of current research projects running across the collaborative.
If you are eligible for a study, the research team at the practice will be in touch.
OPTIMISE 2
Is deprescribing blood pressure medication safe and effective in older people long term?
Patients 75+ who are taking 2+ blood pressure medications but who have stable blood pressure could be eligible to take part.
Patients will be invited to stop taking one BP medication and then invited back to see if BP remains stable and be monitored over a year long period.
OPTIMISE 2 - Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford
DURATION
What is the shortest antibiotic treatment duration needed to treat urinary tract infections?
Women presenting with a UTI requiring antibiotics will be invited to participate.
If they present with cystitis, they will be randomised to receive between 1-5 days of antibiotics.
If they present with pyelonephritis, they will be randomised to receive between 4-14 days of antibiotics.
DURATION - Oxford University - Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit
ATHENA
Does taking low dose Amitriptyline soon after getting shingles prevent post-herpatic neuralgia (pain after shingles)
Patients 50+ who present to the GP within 6 days of getting a shingles rash could be eligible.
Patients will be asked to take a tablet for 10 weeks, this will either be Amitriptyline or a placebo drug. They will not know which they are taking.
ATHENA - Amitriptyline for the prevention of post-herpetic neuralgia
TIGER
Does food allergy test-guided dietary advice improve disease control in children with eczema?
Children aged between 3 months and 2 years with a diagnosis of eczema will be invited to part in this study.
Half of patients who take part in the study will have food allergy tests and dietary advice; half of patients will have standard care.
TIGER - Trial of food allergy (IgE) tests for Eczema Relief
A 6-week biofeedback gait retraining programme for people with knee osteoarthritis
Patients between 45 and 69 years old with a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis will be invited to take part.
Patients will be randomised to standard care or to undertake a 6-week in person gait retraining programme at the University of Bath.
We will invite patients via text message or during appointment consultations.
Bipolar-Parenting-Study
Assessing whether providing online parenting support (IBPI) for parents with bipolar disorder leads to their children having fewer behavioural and emotional problems.
Patients with bipolar disorder with a child aged 4-10 will be eligible to participate.
Half of participants will have access to an online tool (IBPI – Integrated Bipolar Parenting Intervention) that combines parenting support with helpful strategies for managing bipolar.
Bipolar-Parenting-Study - Lancaster University
ASYMPTOMATIC
Assessing symptom-driven versus maintenance preventer therapy for the outpatient management of Asthma in children
Children aged 6-16 with mild asthma are invited to take part. They will be randomised to use their inhalers either 1) daily as prescribed or 2) symptomatically as and when required.
DARE2THINK
Can blood-thinners prevent serious long-term complications in patients with AF?
Patients with atrial fibrillation have a higher risk of stroke, blood clots and memory problems in later life. We don’t currently know whether giving blood thinning medication can reduce this risk.
This trial will randomly assign patients to standard care or taking a blood thinning medication and monitoring their outcomes.
DaRe2THINK - University of Birmingham
Covid-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has starkly illustrated the importance of clinical research in our society. Research is key to addressing the important health and social challenges we face now and those facing future generations. Within Healthwest, we believe clinical research brings significant benefits for both patients and the organisations taking part.
Healthwest practices have been involved in clinical research for many years and formed a Research Collaborative in 2017. The Collaborative allows us to work together to offer clinical research participation to more of our patients and staff than if we worked in isolation.
We work with the West of England Clinical Research Network who are funded by the Department of Health and Social Care to facilitate the delivery of research studies that are included on the NIHR Portfolio
We participate predominantly in non-commercial research although we have been involved in a small number of commercial studies.