Getting Involved — Research Partner
One of my 2024 goals was to get more involved in research. I’m on a research study with GOSH about improving the lives of children, young people and parents of people living with any paediatric rheumatological condition (Taking part in Research. A parents perspective | by Ben Sewell | Feb, 2024 | Medium). I’ve also registered as a JIA VIP with the JAR Project (Juvenile Arthritis Research — JIA VIP Panel (jarproject.org)) and will be involved in research with this charity shortly.
I’ve been in my current role at Versus Arthritis for a while now and saw a post that drew me in about how people could contribute to research. I think I can help with the experience of being a parent to twins with JIA (two different strands of it too) and myself with Osteoarthritis also from a work perspective this was a good opportunity to get an insider view of how research works in practice that will help with data analysis and systems work.
I registered up via a very easy-to-use webform and had the first introduction MS Teams call on Monday afternoon.
This was led by staff at Versus Arthritis who gave an overview of what it’s like to be a research partner and what you can expect to get from it.
There was a range of people from different backgrounds, experience and skills. All ages up to 84, different colours and creeds.
There was no minimum time commitment. People who are interested in research could commit as much or as little time as is available and choose what to get involved in.
Research partners can get involved in:
- Identifying and prioritising research
- Designing and developing research
- Carrying out research
- Dissemination and implementation
There is around £13m per year of funding allocation for research over the next three years kicked off through ‘funding calls’
Funding Call
A funding call is the process described on what areas of research are prioritised. People with lived experience of Arthritis are involved in this and the process looks at what work is priorities and how it is delivered which then progresses to a ‘funding panel’
Funding Panel
During the funding panel, there is a review of what work is ongoing and any new research priorities that could be undertaken and how they fit against the Versus Arthritis and supportive priorities and strategies of MSK and Arthritis. This process agrees which areas of focus should be funded and resourced from the research budget.
Some examples of types of research include:
Discovery Science
A laboratory-based research. This could lead to a breakthrough in Arthritis reduction, prevention or early diagnosis.
Clinical Research
This could be introducing or testing new research and technology or devices that help people with Arthritis.
Health Services
What help and research is available in the Health Sciences space and linkages to health providers for people with Arthritis?
Fellowship
There are several ‘Fellows’ These are people who are professional researchers and have a career focus on research. Fellows are leaders in Arthritis research for the future and could discover the next breakthroughs in technology and Arthritis impact.
There are thirteen hubs of world-class research spread across the UK which lead and deliver research.
My takeaway thoughts
I got a great feeling of belonging and an urge to help people. People offering their experience, service user story and expertise in several areas was really powerful.
The diversity of the people on the call and different perspectives and experiences is really important when looking at research to gain the views of people who may be impacted by the research and can offer valuable insights and feedback for the area of research.
There are many ways to be present and interact with research including research development drop-ins, virtual catchups and dedicated times where you can further meet the team and interact with other research partners.
Earlier in the week I listened to a company update about how the research work at Versus Arthritis has major impact for people living with Arthritis and was amazed about the work undertaken in the Primary Care Centre in collaboration with Keele University where investment from Versus Arthritis has led to further funding and the development of health record capture standards (validated health questionnaire, MSK-HQ) that is used globally.
versus-arthritis-primary-care-centre-impact-report-2024.pdf (versusarthritis.org)
So I’ve stepped into the world of research and am looking forward to contributing towards improving the lives of people with Arthritis, this time from a lived experience perspective.
Our research achievements | Versus Arthritis
More to follow in due course! Giving back is well and truly ticked for 2024 and hoping my small contribution adds to a bigger difference.
Those who know me well will hear the phrase… People, process and Technology quite often. Or have a day in the life of…. and even get to where the work happens to fully understand your contribution to the goal...
This is a step towards that and happy I’ll be learning a little bit more about research that’s a win win for me and people living with Arthritis.
Until next time…
