Hi Delaney,
I think there are lots of ways you can make yourself seen and heard within a
department and get hold of some patients! I would be brave - do some
background research about the department and if you can find out which
consultant has a particular interest in the condition you mention then it
may be worth targeting them, I would not automatically go for the head of
dept (they are likely to be the busiest and not necessarily the most
interested in your work). Write a letter but follow it up, call them a week
later and ask if they have had time to read it, show enthusiasm and be
brave!
If appropriate offer to visit and shadow a doctor in clinic or offer to do a
presentation at one of their meetings about your research ideas (a good way
to get your face known to a broad range of people in the dept and get
generate some interest. No doubt they would also be able to shed some light
on feasible ways of running the study).
I think it is definitely possible to get access to the patients, but you do
need to be quite pro-active, the more you can get people interested in the
dept the easier it will be for you to conduct your research. You could also
try asking if (when you get your honorary contract) you can sit in on
consultations so you are showing interest, but also so you should be able to
1) find out more about the condition 2) ask the doctor questions and get to
know them in between the consultations 3) learn more about how the clinic
/dept. runs...
Hope that helps a bit...and good luck
Anna
-----Original Message-----
From: Health Psychology Postgraduate Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Miss
Delaney Bucknor
Sent: 21 December 2006 03:34
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: obtaining NHS patients as research participants
Hi Everyone
After producing a research proposal and finding co-supervisors, I will be
starting my PhD/Stage 2 Health Psy in Feb 2007. Before giving away lots of
money and commiting myself (I'm self-funding), I have an issue to contend
with before I throw myself in.
My research participants will be an NHS clinical population, more
specifically people who suffer from a dermatological skin disorder known as
Chronic Urticaria. Knowing how and where to get my research sample is not
the problem. The problem is in how you approach particular departments or
specialists for permission to use patients as research participants.
Do you just write a detailed letter or is there a more formal way? I am not
sure as I am leaving a clinical background not a research one. I finished
my MSc in 2001 and used the general public for my then research. I also
need to sort this out ASAP so I can start on my COREC ethics application.
I would be grateful for any help
Thanks
Delaney
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