Improving the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of external pilot and feasibility studies
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Botnar Research Centre
Abstract
This research project fall's within the MRC research priorities aim 1 "Setting research priorities which are most likely to deliver improved health outcomes".
The research project aims to improve the design, conduct and reporting of external pilot and feasibility studies. Randomised controlled trials provide the best evidence about the effectiveness (and harms) of health care interventions and are a crucially important part of the practice of evidence-based medicine and delivering improved health outcomes for patients. However, randomised trials are often expensive and complicated to run. Because of this, researchers frequently conduct pilot and feasibility studies in advance of randomised trials assessing effectiveness. These pilot and feasibility studies help them to understand whether the future randomised trial can be successfully carried out, whether they should proceed with it, and if so how. There is still a great deal of variability in the way pilot and feasibility studies are designed, conducted, and analysed, and quite a lot of uncertainty amongst the research community about how best to do this. The aims of this project are to address important uncertainties in design, conduct, analysis and reporting of external pilot and feasibility studies.
The research project aims to improve the design, conduct and reporting of external pilot and feasibility studies. Randomised controlled trials provide the best evidence about the effectiveness (and harms) of health care interventions and are a crucially important part of the practice of evidence-based medicine and delivering improved health outcomes for patients. However, randomised trials are often expensive and complicated to run. Because of this, researchers frequently conduct pilot and feasibility studies in advance of randomised trials assessing effectiveness. These pilot and feasibility studies help them to understand whether the future randomised trial can be successfully carried out, whether they should proceed with it, and if so how. There is still a great deal of variability in the way pilot and feasibility studies are designed, conducted, and analysed, and quite a lot of uncertainty amongst the research community about how best to do this. The aims of this project are to address important uncertainties in design, conduct, analysis and reporting of external pilot and feasibility studies.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Sally Hopewell (Primary Supervisor) | |
Katie Mellor (Student) |
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MR/N013468/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
2292601 | Studentship | MR/N013468/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/09/2022 | Katie Mellor |
Description | Australian Trials Methodology (AusTriM) Research Network Conference, December 2021 (virtual) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I presented the findings from my qualitative research study at the Australian Trials Methodology (AusTriM) Research Network Conference in December 2021 (virtual). A number of researchers contacted me after the presentation and requested that I shared the publication with them once available (later published in Feb 2022). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Department lay abstract blog |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lay abstract blog to engage wider audience with research being conducted |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/news/blog/trials-on-trial |
Description | Society for Clinical Trials presentations, May 2021 (virtual) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I presented at the Society for Clinical Trials conference (May 2021, virtual). I presented the findings of my methodological review, and I also presented as part of a wider workshop about unresolved issues in the design and conduct of pilot and feasibility studies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |