Trial Conduct Working Group: Retention

Research

Co Leads and contact details

Ellen Murphy, University College Cork, ellen.murphy@ucc.ie, Matthew Burns, Lancashire Clinical Trials Unit, University of Lancashire, mrburns@lancashire.ac.uk  , Beverly Shirkey, University of Bristol, beverly.shirkey@bristol.ac.uk

How to join the group 

To join the Retention Group, please fill in the Trial Conduct Working Group Expression of Interest form and return to enquires@methdologyhbis.mrc.ac.uk

 

Aims and Objectives 

 

The MRC-NIHR TMRP Retention Working Group is a sub-group of the MRC-NIHR TMRP Trial Conduct Working Group. The aim of the group is to focus on improving participant retention in clinical trial research.

 

The group aims to meet up to two to four times a year to discuss the topic of participant retention in trials, the latest research developments in the field (e.g., Retention based Studies Within A Trial (SWATs), any new “hot topics”, share upcoming/ongoing projects and fosters collaborative research efforts among group members.

 

Summary of aims and objectives

  • Network to discuss insights to participant retention in trials
  • Present current research projects on the topic
  • Foster and facilitate collaborative research projects

 

 

 

Membership 

 

We welcome members who are interested in the topic of participant retention in trials in health and social care, including academics, clinicians, patient and public contributors as well as those working in industry. You do not need to have prior experience of research in this field to join the group.

 

We have open membership, with three co-leads currently. We aim to meet up to two to four times a year and people attend when they can, but all members are sent minutes of the meeting and can send updates to the group or can place retention-based questions on the TMRP sub-group basecamp facility.

 

While the group facilitates collaborative research projects, these would be directly managed separately from the TMRP Retention Group.

 

 

Further Information and Resources

 

The following resource can be used to filter for current ideas, developments, and work in progress for retention-based SWATs which aim to look at operational efficiencies aimed at retaining participants on clinical trials / studies following recruitment.

 

SWAT Resources • Trial Forge

 

Outputs 

 

1)      PRESS Project

 

This project funded by TMRP (UK) and HRB-TMRN (Ireland). The ‘Protocol and resource development for prioritised recruitment and retention strategies’ (PRESS) project aimed to develop these protocols, and resources, to assist and encourage trial teams to evaluate the recruitment and retention strategies in their trials, especially those that we have prioritised for evaluation.

Protocols and resources for priority recruitment and retention SWATs (PRESS) • Trial Forge