Research is everyone's future!

To collect the evidence we need to improve services and care, research needs to be at the heart of our work. We need to make participation as easy as possible and make sure all staff feel empowered to support an active research culture.

We know that being involved in research improves patient outcomes and staff retention. However, not all patients and members of the public are offered opportunities to be involved in research studies.

You can play a key role by getting to know what research happening in your workplace, and talking to patients, service users and colleagues about research: after all, you are best placed to inform people about the value of research if we are to achieve the best patient care and outcomes in the future.

Spread the word

Make a start by finding out what is happening in your area. Think about how you can have conversations with people about research and how you can address the gaps in knowledge. Your relationship with the people you care for is crucial to helping them find their way into research.

Here are some tips for talking people about research:

simple statements are often best: “Our trust is research active with lots of different types of research. Would you like me to put you in touch with a colleague who can tell you more about the opportunities, so you can decide what is best for you?”
if a person wants to find out more, a member of the research team can then provide the information they need to make an informed decision about what's right for them.
point people towards Be Part of Research, a fantastic service that helps the public find out more about health and care research.
consider how we can support people who are underrepresented in research. You can find out more about this on the NIHR's INCLUDE project webpage.
bear in mind that there are many different types of research taking place in our region - you don't have to remember all these studies! Linking people with researchers is already a tremendous help.

Be Part of Research blue text, placed to the right of a coloured silhouette of a head and shoulders.

Visit the Be Part of Research website

Why do colleagues get involved with research?

We work in services that are fortunate to be supported by a diverse staff with a wide range of backgrounds and professional experience. Staff get involved with research for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few:

personal interest in a research or evaluation topic
a belief that research and evidence can improve the quality and safety of healthcare, patient experience and patient outcomes, – which can sometimes be fuelled by frustration with existing practice
a positive prior experience with research
prospects for career development, as well as reputational or financial benefits
cultural expectations about research being part of the job, which vary among clinical disciplines, professions and locations
working with people from a range of backgrounds and expertise

Your Path in Research, blue and orange text sitting underneath an orange, turquoise and dark blue set of arrows.

Play the Your Path in Research Game to explore how adding research to your career can help you gain new skills and make a real difference.

Research registries

Some organisations and research areas have a database of people who are interested in participating in certain types of research. Examples of these are Join Dementia Research and Research+Me, a consent-to-contact registry owned by Newcastle Hospitals Trust. Encouraging people to sign up to registries is a great way to signpost them to studies that they might be able to take part in.

Join Dementia Research

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