Date: 24 March 2020 By Derek Stewart – Patient Representative & MRC-NIHR-TMRP PPI Lead
Trials Methodology Research (1) is about looking at the way health research is carried out – i.e. improving the tools and trade of research practice. It is carried out by researchers often referred to as Methodologists.
These types of studies differ from doing things to patients – testing new drugs and treatments which can be described as Interventional Research.
Yet, it is still research and needs to have a relevant question, an understandable proposal and lay summary along with all the other aspects of a study that can benefit from the patients’ viewpoint, an external perspective and a grounding in reality.
Patient and Public Involvement has a place and the MRC NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership are a welcoming bunch of curious people. By ‘curious’ I mean in the pleasant ‘enquiring’ sense of the word.