research in practice: how to survive and thrive
TRANSCRIPT
Research in practice: how to survive and thrive
Jenny Freeman, Plymouth University
Jenny Thain, Walton Centre
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Session Plan
• Aimed at novice researchers
• Based around a real-life case scenario in which many lessons were learnt
• Key learning points at each stage
• Ask questions and raise issues along the way
• Sign-posts to practical resources
• Our aim – to prevent you making the same mistakes!
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Jenny T’s research story: A well planned journey?
Or a series of unknown
barriers eventually
overcome?
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
The Beginning “I’d done research projects previously including an MPhil, but this was in a much more supported situation ie registered with University and was working in a research post therefore had time.” “Subsequent research projects were within my clinical practice and proved more challenging….”
How difficult could it be?
As a clinical specialist research was written into my job description and job plan……..
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
The journey starts…… • Trust’s RD & I committee keen on influencing
changing perceptions of AHP RD & I capability and on promoting a ‘World Class Service’”
• Non –medic research award – 1 page application
• 3 shortlisted
• 10 page application form…….
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Writing the application
• Consultant Lead supportive
• Therapy Manager – staff costs
• Trust’s RD & I team support in writing application and design
• Literature search – Library services
• Critical analysis and concluding what evidence tells us
• Design – how to access a statistician – links to University
• Patient and Public Involvement
• Not funded /resourced for this time
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Key Learning Points
• A good research idea is essential
• Be confident there is an evidence gap
• Clinical experience and enthusiasm needs to be
accompanied by support from a research team • If you don’t have appropriate skills “go and get it!”
• Don’t go it alone - seek advice early on
• Research requires money and time
• Grant funding is very competitive ……..so you need a good research question
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Why are “good” research questions important?
“Well-crafted questions guide the systematic
planning of research. Formulating your
question precisely enables you to design a
study with a good chance of answering
them.”
Light, Singer, Willett, By Design (1990)
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
What are the characteristics of a
“good” research question?
• Feasible - it can be answered
• Interesting – to you and others
• Novel - it breaks new ground
• Ethical - no harm to subjects
• Relevant - the “So What” test (F-I-N-E-R)
Hulley, Newman & Cummings, 1988
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Formulating an answerable research question
opulation or participants
ntervention
omparator or Control
utcome
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
PICO • What are your questions?
• Can you fit them into the PICO frame?
• Please discuss with your neighbour (5 min)…
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Developing a grant is like climbing a mountain
Grant Submission
HS&DR RfPB
HTA
Charities
EME i4i
HS & DR PGAR
Grant application
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
From the outset you need to consider…
• The team (clinical and research)
• A convincing project plan
• Feasibility: supporting audit or pilot data
• Access to participants & agreement of other sites
• Involvement of other key organisations
• Clear management arrangements
• Properly costed
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Collaborate with a range of people
• Research Design Service
• Clinical Research Network
• R&D departments of trust (e.g. research nurse manager)
• Universities
• Statisticians
• Clinical Trials Unit
• Finance Departments
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Involve people with MS from the start
• The research topic
• The research question
• Study design
• Outcomes to measure
• Methods of recruitment
• Methods of retention
• Dissemination
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
MS Trust
– http://www.mstrust.org.uk/research/gettinginvolved
MS Society Research Network:
– http://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/research_network
INVOLVE
http://www.invo.org.uk
Involving people with MS
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Cost your project effectively
Find someone who knows what they are doing and who:
• understands the forms
• can help you to cost your project
• can help you to complete the forms
• start by listing all research activities
• don’t underestimate the time this will take
• start early by involving your finance departments
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Make a clear project plan
• Identify key milestones
• Link with objectives
• Be realistic – things always take longer than you think
• Timetable / Gantt chart linked to milestones / objectives
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Bright idea
Incorporate comments from team
Costs to finances
Draft revised for 10th time!
Public and patient
involvement
Circulate draft for meeting
Feedback
Submit to
funder
Develop a Timeline
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Produce a Gantt Chart Development of a falls management intervention for people with multiple sclerosis: Building stakeholder consensus
Project Gannt Chart
Month -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Ethics Approval
Comprehensive Lit Review
Recruitment
Service User Training
Nominal Group (NG) Meetings
Feedback, Analysis and writing up
Dissemination
Milestones
Recruitment ends month 5
NG Meetings completed month 9
Project written up month 12
12 month funding period requested from the MS Society
and use it to check your progress throughout the project
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Seek research advice early
Research Design Services Universities
http://www.ccf.nihr.ac.uk/Pages/RDSMap.aspx
Service covering England ; local access Universities are keen to collaborate
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Useful Websites: Research Process
For information re: • developing research question • deciding on research design and methods • writing your research proposal • collecting the data • disseminating the findings http://www.rddirect.org.uk http://www.rdinfo.org.uk http://www.csp.org.uk
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Award successful: The next stage of the journey
• Ethics
• R & D approval
• Venues
• Staff / training / log / costs
• Availability of staff and Departments ie R & D and Neurophysiology
• Recruitment procedures
• Site File
• Storage of data
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Useful Websites: Ethics application
NRES: http://www.nres.npsa.nhs.uk/applications/guidance Finding your local REC and R & D Organisation Detailed Guidance sheets Procedure Flowcharts IRAS: https://www.myresearchproject.org.uk Tutorials on application Detailed Guidance sheets www.swpctresearch.nhs.uk: Up-to-date information on latest changes involved with NHS ethics application process - click on the 'ethical information' link
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
What am I doing???
• General feeling of loss of interest, even me.
• R & D link person left – felt “starting from scratch again”
• Updates required by Trust but…
“I was really embarrassed as little was going on!!
I couldn’t face them sometimes”
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Key Learning Points
• Use the resources IRAS provides
• Talk to people
• Seek advice and help
• Be realistic re timeframe
• “Buy-in” from partners
• Leadership is essential
• And most importantly
…………………
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Be prepared for the rollercoaster ride
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
The high’s…
……and lows Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Finally……doing the research!
• Slow to identify participants
• Recruitment procedure seemed complex for one control group
• Room availability change as R& D moved
• Changes of staff
• Declines
• DNA’s
• Time to chase up above…..
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Key learning points
• Be realistic about the numbers of potential participants / centres
• If you involve other centres, there is a need for regular communication to ensure everyone is doing what is required!
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Undertaking a “virtual investigation”
To help ensure the
research process
runs smoothly,
carry out the study in
your mind….undertake a
“virtual investigation”
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Participant / Centre numbers
• How many patients of this group enter the Trust / are seen in your practice?
• How many of these fulfil the inclusion criteria?
• What is your predicted recruitment rate
(be pessimistic)?
• What is your predicted attrition?
• What are these estimates based on?
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
I’m almost there…… but what do I do with the data?
• All information collected
• Ensure it is recorded in right place from start
• Do ‘adding up’ as you go along
• Statistician
• SPSS
• What to do with the data?
• Then the write up!!
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Key learning points
• Don’t put “your head in the sand”
• Decide how you analyse data from the outset
• Seek advice from statistician at the beginning
• Sample size calculations
• Cost in statistical support
• Allow enough time for analyses and write-up
…….and dissemination
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Reflection
Positives
• Study now complete and written up (2 .5 years for a ‘pilot’)
• Results not what we expected but still able to suggest future study from what we did find
• Have been able to use this as an example ‘in-house’ whilst working on increasing AHP Research interest & activity in Trust as ‘live’ so validates
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Reflection
Negatives
• Monkey on my back - has been a long haul
• Frustrating with slow recruitment
• Had to change protocol as other clinicians not fully supporting recruitment
• Participants agreeing to attend then DNA
• Difficulties re access to stats / SPSS – tenacity
• Need to disseminate results
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Use guidance available to
report results
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
(Lots of) Guidance Available
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
“From idea to fundable proposal”
A nice simple linear process??
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Moving forwards in the real world: START SIMPLE
Perhaps….. • Be involved as an assessor in someone else’s study • A Masters project is a great starter • Supported schemes can help (e.g. CATP) • Case reports / Single case studies / Routine Data
collection / Audit are manageable • Incorporate research with your own appraisal
process • Be a collaborator in another research project • Recognise your own strengths – a great idea ? A
good head for design? A data collector? A proof reader? A disseminator?
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Training pathway with four levels of award (Masters, Doctoral, Clinical Lectureship (post-doc) and Senior Clinical Lectureship
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Any questions?
Most importantly………….. don’t struggle on alone
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015
Freeman&Thain/MSTrust/2015