What is ‘The Trials Methods Research Agenda: A Priority Setting Exercise, 2022’ study?
This project designed to identify the most important research questions on how we conduct randomised clinical trials. This will inform priorities for trials methods research.
What do we mean by randomised clinical trials and trials methods research?
Randomised clinical trials are studies that test the effects of interventions (treatments, medical devices or procedures) on human health. Trials methods research is research that tries to answer questions about how we can improve the way randomised clinical trials are carried out.
Who is running this survey?
The study is a collaboration with the HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network (HRB-TMRN) and the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership ((MRC-NIHR-TMRP). This survey is being conducted by trials methods researchers, and public and patient research team members. You can find more detail about each of these below:
Sinéad is a Research Fellow at the UCD Clinical Research Centre. She has a special interest in research methodology, transparency and enhancing reporting of research for the benefit of end-users. Sinéad is co-leading the DEFT (Digital EFficient Trials) programme with Prof Peter Doran, to generate knowledge on how we can best integrate technology into clinical trials to enhance their quality and efficiency.
Peter Doran
Prof Peter Doran is Director of the Clinical Trials Institute at the University of Galway.
Declan Devane
Declan is Professor of Health Research Methodology and Deputy Dean of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at NUI Galway. He is Scientific Director of the HRB-Trials Methodology Research Network, Director of Evidence Synthesis Ireland and Director of Cochrane Ireland.
Declan trained as a nurse and a midwife, meandered (with the help of opportunity, interest and luck) his way into trial methodology and evidence synthesis and his work now focusses on randomised trials and how they are done and synthesising evidence.
Amanda Roberts
Amanda is a patient and public member of the team and is based in England. She is very interested in the way clinical trials are carried out. She is passionate about the patient voice in health research and has helped steer three other research priority setting exercises.
Theresa Tierney
Theresa Tierney is part of the Primary Care PPI Group of the HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland. She has also participated in the production of an educational video series about systematic reviews, a pilot study and a previous trials methodology project. Theresa works in website design, ecommerce and communications with a personal interest in health and wellness.
Catrin Tudor Smith
Catrin Tudur Smith is Professor of Medical Statistics at the University of Liverpool where she does research in the areas of evidence synthesis and clinical trials. She has a particular interest in data sharing and led the first trials methodology research prioritisation project.
Paula Williamson
Paula Williamson is Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Liverpool. She leads the MRC-NIHR Trials Methodology Research Partnership, and chairs the COMET Initiative Management Group. She was appointed as an NIHR Senior Investigator in 2014, gave the Bradford Hill Lecture in 2017, and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2018.