Here at Uppingham Surgery, as of April 2022 we became a research friendly practice supporting the studies from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). We see this as a great way of allowing you the choice to take part in research that will benefit you and your family. Research helps to improve health, social care and provide new treatment for you and for the future generations.
Whilst many would like to help out with the research, we recognise and respect those who would like to opt out of taking part. This will not affect your care as mentioned in the Good Clinical Practice; the policy used for national and international research studies.
Here at Uppingham Surgery Dr Kalra is the Lead GP and Eilidh from Rutland Health Primary Care Network is the Lead Admin. There is a noticeboard in the waiting room which highlights the Good Clinical Practice policy, benefits of participating in research and the active studies by the surgery.
Wanting to participate? Many studies have a set criteria for who is allowed to participate in a study. If you meet these criteria, a letter or text message will be sent to you asking if you would like to give us your consent. This choice can be changed at any time during the study and it will not affect the care that is provided to you by the Uppingham Surgery.
The exciting news is we are choosing research studies that relate to you and your community. Many have strange names but we will always explain clearly what the study is about in your invitation.
FAQ’S for Research at Uppingham Surgery
How am I contacted to take part in a study?
You will receive a text message or an information pack is posted to you.
Do I have to take part?
No it is optional. If you sign up to a study but change your mind then let the study co-ordinator know. Your care at Uppingham Surgery will not be effected if you consent or dissent from a trial.
Will I have to travel for the study?
The study information pack will explain if you need to travel to a local location. Most study centres are based at local hospitals including Leicester Royal, Leicester General and Glenfield Leicester. The study may reimburse you for travel expenses and for your time to take part.
Does this take a GP away from their normal GP work?
Only Dr Kalra assists with the research study administration. We choose research studies which do not impact the day to day work of the doctors and nurses. The studies chosen are based away from Uppingham Surgery so that the surgery can run as normal.
Real Time Glucose Monitoring – FreeDM2
Real-Time Glucose Monitoring Using FreeStyle Libre 3 in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes On Basal Insulin Plus SGLT2 Inhibitor and/or GLP-1 (FreeDM2)
The aim of the FreeDM2 study is to see if a patient using the FreeStyle Libre 3 device will improve a patient’s diabetes management over a 32 week period. If a patient is not included to use the FreeStyle Libre 3 device in the initial part of the study, the patient will be given the opportunity to use the device once they have completed their part of the study.
This is a commercial study but has been promoted by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR, NHS research organisation) and the Leicester Diabetes Centre.
April Study
Artificial intelligence in PRImary Care spirometry pathways for diagnosis of Lung Disease (APRIL)
Uppingham Surgery is working alongside Empingham Medical Centre, Oakham Medical Practice and Market Overton & Somerby Surgeries. Any patients who require a spirometry to diagnose asthma, COPD or another respiratory condition, are offered the chance to assist with the development of a new artificial intelligence (AI) software by sharing their spirometry report with the study team. Patient details will be removed to ensure the patient is non identifiable. The study team will use the spirometry report on their AI software to see if it is able to diagnose the patient in the same way a respiratory clinician can.
Those eligible for the study will be introduced to the study when they are offered a diagnostic spirometry appointment at Empingham Medical Centre.
The APRIL study | Royal Brompton & Harefield hospitals (rbht.nhs.uk)
Codec – Research Study
Research has shown that people who have later bedtimes (colloquially called ‘night owls’) are more likely to develop diabetes and other health problems, such as heart disease. This still holds true, even when the night owls get the same number of hours sleep as early risers. The underlying causes have not been clearly defined, but appear to be related to ‘circadian misalignment’. This is where societal pressures, such as work shifts, force us to wake earlier or stay awake longer than we naturally would.
https://www.leicesterdiabetescentre.org.uk/research-blog/codec
Active Brains Research
Southampton University have made a new website called ‘Active Brains’ which aims to help adults aged between 60 and 85 years old to look after their brain and body health. The aim is to help prevent problems with things like remembering, concentrating or reasoning (known as cognitive decline). The website will help adults to make simple changes such as getting more active, playing brain training games and finding ways to eat more healthily.
150 patients have been selected at random and will receive a mail pack offering them the chance to participate.
If you have received your mail pack you can click on this link to enter the Active Brains Study.
Interact – Measuring Loneliness
This is our first research study and we are encouraging our patients and staff to participate in the INTERACT Measuring Loneliness study. It is the first study of its kind and Imperial College London are going to use the information to create a heat map of the UK to show the levels of loneliness and social isolation.
We want to know if you feel lonely? Do you meet people? Do you feel part of a community? Do you feel valued?
Click below to Fill in the Survey
Data Protection
No data or information is passed onto the research study. It is only when a patient signs up to the study that information is exchanged; at any point a patient can decline a study and all data stored is subject to the General Data Protection Act 2018.
The doctors and staff involved in studies follow the Good Clinical Practice and the Declaration of Helsinki.
The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as a statement of ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects, including research on identifiable human material and data.