Public involvement in research
The Research into Inflammatory Arthritis Centre Versus Arthritis (RACE) is a collaborative project between the Universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle and Oxford, funded by Versus Arthritis.
The RACE centre has two main overarching research aims:
- What is the cause of Rheumatoid Arthritis and related types of inflammatory arthritis?
- Why do some patients fail to respond to treatment?
To meet the research aims of the RACE centre, and to ensure that patients have a say in the research that may benefit them, we have established patient involvement groups in Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle. Our colleagues in Oxford also undertake Rheumatology research, and patient involvement activities there will link to those undertaken by the three established groups. Patients can participate in these groups and collaborate on a number of activities, including: setting research priorities, supporting researchers to undertake effective public and patient involvement, reviewing research proposals, partnering with PhD students, evaluating and disseminating outcomes of research.
Further information about what is public involvement in research is available on the INVOLVE website here: https://www.invo.org.uk/find-out-more/what-is-public-involvement-in-research-2/
Versus Arthritis has published information about involving people with arthritis in research: https://www.versusarthritis.org/research/involving-people-with-arthritis/
How do I get involved?
There are three patient involvement groups in RACE, based in Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle. Please feel free to contact any of them to find out more about the work they do and how you can get involved. For practical reasons, people normally work with the group based most locally to them.
- Birmingham – the patient involvement group is Birmingham Rheumatology Research Patient Partnership (R2P2). Further information is available here:
www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mds/projects/ii/R2P2/index.aspx
- Glasgow - the patient involvement group is Glasgow Arthritis Involvement Network (GAIN). Further information is available here:
www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/iii/research/clinicalresearch/
- Newcastle - the patient involvement group is Patient and public Involvement in Musculoskeletal Services (PIMS). For further information, or to join their mailing list and for details of their next meeting, call 0191 22231514 (Mon-Fri 9-4) or e-mail PIMS@nuth.nhs.uk
