NHS Scotland launch research recruitment campaign

People across Scotland are being encouraged to register their interest in health research.

A new campaign has been launched to boost awareness of the Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE), a confidential register run by NHSScotland of people who are interested in participating in health research.

By joining the register, which only takes a few minutes, participants agree to be invited to take part in future health research studies – at which stage it is completely up to them whether they choose to participate.

More people are taking part in health research studies across Scotland with 2012/13 seeing an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year. The national advertising campaign aims to build on this to recruit up to one million people to SHARE.

Cabinet Secretary for Health Alex Neil, who has joined the Register, said: “Our NHS is made better by research as it informs how we improve services and treatments and encourages a culture of using practice based on evidence.

“Research studies also give Scottish patients access to innovative medical advances and new treatments available in clinical trials.

“However research can only deliver these benefits if people willing to take part in the studies.

“That is why SHARE is so important as it makes it easier for people to get involved with research and identifies suitable people for each study so that researchers can recruit the right people.

“I hope that more Scots will get behind it and help us to build on Scotland’s strong tradition of health research which has led to many medical breakthroughs for patients world-wide.”

The call to get more Scots involved in health research is being backed by Carla Kydd, age 54, from Dundee.

Since she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes almost 48 years ago, Carla has been involved in a number of research projects. This included taking part in a clinical trial to test a new slow acting insulin, which she now takes daily and more recently research into the impact of diabetes on the production of cortisol.

Talking about her experience Carla said: “Had it not been for the efforts of researchers in developing a treatment for diabetes I would not be here today. That is why I like to help, when I can, in research that will further improve care in the future.

“I’m glad that I have been able to take part in research projects and even more grateful as they resulted in a new treatment, which I now rely on, becoming available.

“I truly believe that the health of the nation can only improve if all of us play our part to invest time and engage in research and I hope I can continue to support the voyage of discovery.”

Examples of the innovation which has come out of Scottish research include:

•     Creation of the UK‘s leading home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme which aids the recovery of more than 16,000 heart attack patients every year
•     Confirmation of the long term benefits of taking statins –a landmark study showed that those who took statins were less at risk of a non-fatal heart attack or death from coronary heart disease
•     A clinical trial to encourage dentists to apply fissure sealant to children’s teeth increased the use of this effective but underused prevention treatment and is now incorporated in the Dental contract.

To complete the quick and straightforward registration process or to find out more about the register visit www.registerforshare.org