What it’s like to participate in a research project

Each year between over 1,500 patients participate in a research project at MTW. For some projects, it is also necessary to recruit patients’ relatives too. If you are invited to join a project by your care provider or by a member of the Research and Development Department, it can be a confusing time and it may be first time you have been invited to join.

Why have I been invited to join a research project?

If you have been invited to join a research project, it can bring you many benefits. There are lots of reasons why patients are invited to join a research project. Sometimes, it is to allow you to access the latest drugs and treatments which your care provider believes will help you. Sometimes, you may be invited to join a trial as a comparator to someone who is not on a trial so we can discover how well things work comparing a research drug to a standard drug. Sometimes we will simply be inviting you to join a trial so we can seek your views and opinions on things such as drugs, treatments and interventions. This is usually done to find out how well something is working over a longer period.

What are the benefits to joining a research project?

There are many potential benefits to joining a research project. You could get access to the latest drugs and treatments that your care provider believes could benefit you personally. Patients often tell us that participating in a research project gives them a greater understanding of their condition and the possible treatments available. It is also satisfying to know that your participation is providing knowledge to the research world to better design and treat diseases in the future.

If you would like more information about joining a research project and perhaps would like to meet people who have previously been recruited to a research project, please contact either the Patient Research Ambassador here or the Research and Development Department on telephone 01622 225627.