Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Acceptability and perceived barriers and facilitators to creating a national research register to enable 'direct to patient' enrolment into research: the Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE).

Grant, Aileen; Ure, Jenny; Nicolson, Donald J.; Hanley, Janet; Sheikh, Aziz; McKinstry, Brian; Sullivan, Frank

Authors

Jenny Ure

Donald J. Nicolson

Janet Hanley

Aziz Sheikh

Brian McKinstry

Frank Sullivan



Abstract

Background: Difficulties with recruitment pose a major, increasingly recognised challenge to the viability of research. We sought to explore whether a register of volunteers interested in research participation, with data linkage to electronic health records to identify suitable research participants, would prove acceptable to healthcare staff, patients and researchers. Methods: We undertook a qualitative study in which a maximum variation sampling approach was adopted. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with patients, general practitioners (GP), practice managers and health service researchers in two Scottish health boards. Analysis was primarily thematic to identify a range of issues and concerns for all stakeholder groups. Results: The concept of a national research register was, in general, acceptable to all stakeholder groups and was widely regarded as beneficial for research and for society. Patients, however, highlighted a number of conditions which should be met in the design of a register to expedite confidence and facilitate recruitment. They also gave their perceptions on how a register should operate and be promoted, favouring a range of media. GPs and practice managers were primarily concerned with the security and confidentiality of patient data and the impact a register may have on their workload. Researchers were supportive of the initiative seeing advantages in more rapid access to a wider pool of patients. They did raise concerns that GPs may be able to block access to personal patient data held in general practice clinical systems and that the register may not be representative of the whole population. Conclusions: This work suggests that patients, healthcare staff and researchers have a favourable view of the potential benefits of a national register to identify people who are potentially eligible and willing to participate in health related research. It has highlighted a number of issues for the developers to incorporate in the design of research registers.

Citation

GRANT, A., URE, J., NICOLSON, D.J., HANLEY, J., SHEIKH, A., MCKINSTRY, B. and SULLIVAN, F. 2013. Acceptability and perceived barriers and facilitators to creating a national research register to enable 'direct to patient' enrolment into research: the Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE). BMC health services research [online], 13, article number 422. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-422

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 18, 2013
Online Publication Date Oct 18, 2013
Publication Date Dec 31, 2013
Deposit Date Jul 24, 2018
Publicly Available Date Jul 24, 2018
Journal BMC health services research
Electronic ISSN 1472-6963
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 13
Article Number 422
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-422
Keywords Research register; Recruitment; Randomised controlled trial; Qualitative
Public URL http://hdl.handle.net/10059/3019
Contract Date Jul 24, 2018