Ophthalmology research in the UK's National Health Service: the structure and performance of the NIHR's Ophthalmology research portfolio

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Dawson, Sarah R, Linton, Emma, Beicher, Kris, Gale, Richard, Patel, Praveen, Ghanchi, Faruque, Beresford, Michael W, Poustie, Vanessa ORCID: 0000-0003-2338-8768, Chakravarthy, Usha, Bourne, Rupert RA et al (show 35 more authors) , Ashworth, Jane, Bailey, Clare, Downes, Susan, Downey, Louise, George, Sheena, Gottlob, Irene, Hammond, Christopher, Harding, Simon ORCID: 0000-0003-4676-1158, Jackson, Jonathan, Lotery, Andrew, McKibbin, Martin, Membrey, Luke, Mulholland, Padraig J, Patel, Nishal, Saleh, George M, Sanders, Roshini, Silvestri, Giuliana, Sung, Velota, Varma, Deepali, Votruba, Marcella, Worrell, Emma, Shah, Brinda, Nickson, Ian, Beresford, Michael ORCID: 0000-0002-5400-9911, Chambers, Emma, Cooper, Sarah, Yelf, Cathy, Hoad, Geraldine, Acton, Michele, Gow, Louise, Broom, Matt, Dickinson, Christine, Mulholland, Padraig, Doug, Manjo and Barry, Robert (2019) Ophthalmology research in the UK's National Health Service: the structure and performance of the NIHR's Ophthalmology research portfolio. EYE, 33 (4). pp. 610-618. ISSN 0950-222X, 1476-5454

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Abstract

<h4>Purpose</h4>To report on the composition and performance of the portfolio of Ophthalmology research studies in the United Kingdom's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network (UK CRN).<h4>Methods</h4>Ophthalmology studies open to recruitment between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2018 were classified by: sub-specialty, participant age, gender of Chief Investigator, involvement of genetic investigations, commercial/ non-commercial, interventional/observational design. Frequency distributions for each covariate and temporal variation in recruitment to time and target were analysed.<h4>Results</h4>Over 8 years, 137,377 participants were recruited (average of 15,457 participants/year; range: 5485-32,573) with growth by year in proportion of commercial studies and hospital participation in England (76% in 2017/18). Fourteen percent of studies had a genetic component and most studies (82%) included only adults. The majority of studies (41%) enrolled patients with retinal diseases, followed by glaucoma (17%), anterior segment and cataract (13%), and ocular inflammation (6%). Overall, 68% of non-commercial studies and 55% of commercial studies recruited within the anticipated time set by the study and also recruited to or exceeded the target number of participants.<h4>Conclusions</h4>High levels of clinical research activity, growth and improved performance have been observed in Ophthalmology in UK over the past 8 years. Some sub-specialties that carry substantial morbidity and a very high burden on NHS services are underrepresented and deserve more patient-centred research. Yet the NIHR and its CRN Ophthalmology National Specialty Group has enabled key steps in achieving the goal of embedding research into every day clinical care.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	NIHR Ophthalmology Specialty Group, Humans, Ophthalmology, Biomedical Research, State Medicine, United Kingdom
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	28 Oct 2019 08:06
Last Modified:	07 Dec 2024 05:58
DOI:	10.1038/s41433-018-0251-8
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3059632