The Attitudes of General Practices Towards Clinical Research

Bond-Simmons, James

Abstract

The true value of clinical research is widely known. During 2021/22, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) supported over 300 COVID-19 studies, recruiting more than 770,000 participants into studies investigating new treatments and vaccine trials (NIHR, 2022).

During this time, 100% of NHS trusts across England recruited participants into clinical research. Within a primary care setting, this figure falls to 51% of general practices supporting research, despite the support offered by the NIHR. This figure varies across regions, falling to 39% in Greater Manchester, yet rising to 87% in Northwest London.

These figures illustrate a regional inequality in access to potentially life changing research from primary care providers (NIHR, 2022).

Various factors must be considered, such as patient population, funding, and regional deprivation, however, very little literature exists regarding the barriers, motivations, and incentives towards research in practicing general practitioners in England.

To address this, a series of digital and face-to-face data collection activities will take place, within Greater Manchester, and later from a sample of the GPs across all regions. The aim of which, to identify the barriers and challenges facing practices that reduce their likelihood of engaging in clinical research, alongside potential incentives and motivational factors that would support or encourage them to take part.

Knowledge gained from these activities will help inform researchers, research organisations and the NIHR, to provide support and opportunities for GPs across England, ensuring that more of the population have access to clinical research opportunities through their general practitioners.

• Online Publication Date: Jul 2, 2023
• Publication Date: Jul 2, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 23, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17866/rd.salford.23609475.v1
• Publisher URL: https://salford.figshare.com/articles/poster/The_Attitudes_of_General_Practices_Towards_Clinical_Research/23609475