This project is looking to establish a patient panel to help develop a grant application for a study investigating RSS, a method of rehabilitation for people who have experienced stroke.

RSS (repetitive sensory stimulation) uses a unique glove to provide an electrical stimulus and has the potential to improve arm function after stroke. The proposed study will investigate the effectiveness of RSS and how it can be provided to patients soon after they experience stroke to maximise improvements.

The PULSE (rePetitive Upper Limb SEnsory stimulation early after a stroke) project is being carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Central Lancashire.

This study is looking to understand people’s experiences of using digital health technologies in a healthcare setting and to explore how these might be used in community pharmacy.

It is being carried out as part of a PhD project at The University of Manchester’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.

This project will explore what matters most for people with mental illness when approaching research into the safe and effective use of medicines.

Feedback from these workshops will be used to identify priorities for new areas of research and to explore better ways to involve people from different communities and experiences.

Workshops will take place on (time and location to be confirmed):

  • 12 September 2023
  • 26 September 2023
  • 3 October 2023

This project is being carried out by a team of researchers at OptiMed (Optimising Outcomes with Medicines Research Unit), a collaboration between The University of Manchester and Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

This project is looking at ways to improve the quality of healthcare services provided by community pharmacies.

Feedback from these sessions will be used to inform the development of a ‘quality framework’ that recognises the importance of community pharmacies within the wider integrated healthcare system.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers based at The University of Manchester as part of an NIHR School of Primary Care Research post-doctoral fellowship award.

DARE: Delivering the Digital Ambition for Rehabilitation will establish a Rehab User Advisory Group for a research study exploring how digital health technologies can support people undergoing rehabilitation.

Digital health technology has the potential to improve many aspects of patient care, including rehabilitation. It includes smartphone apps, wearable devices, virtual reality, robotics, and web-based platforms that can provide remote healthcare.

The Rehab User Advisory Group will provide oversight and advice on a study exploring what factors influence use and non-use of these technologies as part of rehabilitation or therapy. Findings from this study will be used to inform further research on how digital health technologies might be implemented.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Central Lancashire.

This project is looking for people living with type 2 diabetes to advise on a study that is developing an online library of text messages to support people to improve their diet and physical activity.

The discussion group will look at a range of text messages and discuss what kinds of supporting information should be sent alongside the text messages to help people understand and make best use of them.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers based at The University of Manchester

This project is looking to understand public views on a new smartphone app that helps people self-report medication side effects.

Half the UK population take prescription medications.  Whilst these drugs have clear benefits, they can also cause a range of side effects that can lead to poor quality of life and people not taking medications as prescribed.

The app being developed as part of this study will allow people to self-report side effects in a standardised way, allowing for these to be analysed across different populations.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers at The University of Manchester.

This project will establish a Cancer Research Partnership to support the planning and development of cancer research across the North West Coast, making sure everyone can take part in eligible cancer studies.

It is important that research reflects the needs of everyone, and by establishing this group, researchers hope to understand the reasons why people take part in research, whilst others don’t.

This Partnership will help develop a user experience survey, make sure the patient voice is included in all stages of research, and advise on the best ways to promote studies and opportunities in the future.

It is being led by a team of researchers and staff based at the NIHR Clinical Research Network North West Coast.

This project is looking to understand public views on proposals to allow community pharmacies access to the Greater Manchester Care Record (GMCR).

The GMCR joins together different NHS and care organisations to help hospitals and other care services access electronic records quickly and securely.  Providing community pharmacies access to the GMCR could help improve quality and safety of care provided to patients in the community.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers based at Health Innovation Manchester on behalf of the NHS in England

This project will explore experiences of medication safety issues for people with mental illness and/or their carers, including what contributes to them feeling safe or unsafe when accessing and using medicines outside of hospital.

Findings from this project will be used to inform improvements to medicine safety. It is being carried out as part of PhD thesis and led by a team of researchers based at The University of Manchester.

This project is looking to capture people’s experiences of cervical screening (also known as ‘smear tests’), to identify reasons why people don’t participate and explore alternative screening options, including new ‘do-it-yourself’ methods.

It is being carried out by a team of researchers at The University of Manchester and is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

This project will establish a PPI (patient and public involvement) advisory group to collaborate with researchers on a study looking to improve the long-term benefits for people receiving treatments from the Talking Therapies/Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service.

It is being led by a team of researchers at The University of Manchester. Results of the study will be used to enhance patient outcomes and improve services.