What is research and innovation?
Research and innovation enables us to better understand health and wellbeing so we can develop more effective treatments and services. We can develop more effective treatments and services. It can also help prevent ill health, diagnose conditions earlier and in some cases, increase patient recovery time.
Most of the care and treatment people receive in the NHS is because of research that has already taken place.
Research can answer questions, fill gaps in knowledge and change the way treatment is delivered.
Research can help us improve treatment and care through:
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Increasing our knowledge of health conditions so we can understand who may be more at risk
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Assessing the most effective care and treatments for patients with particular health conditions
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Evaluating care and services so they can be improved for patients
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Launching new patient services and interventions
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Trying out new community interventions that could improve patient outcomes such as health screenings
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Understanding the health of people in our local communities.
To make real improvements in healthcare, we need reliable evidence. This evidence is gained through participation in research by healthcare staff, healthy volunteers, people with lived experienced of health conditions and services, their family members, carers, and study partners.
The type of involvement from research participants depends upon the actual research being conducted. Examples of involvement could include:
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Completing questionnaires or surveys
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Participating in focus groups
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Participating in clinical trials
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Genetic testing
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Observational research (e.g. using evidence from patients such as examining medical records) and more
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Joining a research team as a patient representative.
Clinical trials are research studies designed to test new medications, treatments, and therapies so we can compare them to current treatments to see if they are more effective and we can understand other factors relating to participant experience such as side effects. They often involve large number of patients so important evidence can be gathered. To make them as safe as possible for those taking part, they conform to strict UK regulations.
Find out more about the different stages of a clinical trial on the NHS website.
By getting involved in research, you could make a real difference to the future of healthcare. Find out more about how to get involved on our frequently asked questions page