The National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR) annual Participant in Research Experience Survey (PRES) has reported very encouraging results as the research community continues to reset itself post-pandemic.
Every year, the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) polls thousands of research participants to see what their experiences were, how research can be made more patient-friendly, and if they would take part again.
This year, with support from all 15 local CRNs, almost 25,500 adults completed PRES – the results revealed that 92% of adults felt their contributions to the studies were valued by researchers, 97% felt they were treated with courtesy and respect, and 93% of adults said they would consider participating in research again.
Further speaking to the quality of research in the UK was also the results of the Children's and Young People’s survey, which was completed in conjunction with the adult survey for the first time ever. Of the 252 responses that the youngsters’ survey garnered, 95% felt their insight was valued by the study teams, 98% thought they were treated with courtesy and respect, and 92% said they would consider taking part in research again.
Angela Polanco, Head of Public Engagement at NIHR CRN, said: “Despite the sustained pressures on the NHS, in another challenging year for research delivery, it’s wonderful to see positive results generated from PRES. Research teams can feel proud of their work delivering studies responding to the pandemic, alongside supporting the recovery of the UK research portfolio.
“This is the first time we’ve analysed the Children and Young People’s PRES against the adult survey. The results will bring us a greater insight into the wider experience of taking part in research, allowing us to better measure study performance and experience in the future.”
Even though this year’s PRES results show the high-quality nature of research in this country, they also provided key insights into how research can be further improved as well. In both the adult and young people surveys, practical considerations for children when participating in research and better communication about what to expect during the research were identified as clear areas of improvement for the future.
Nevertheless, the general results from this year’s PRES combined with things like NIHR being heralded as the best in Europe for clinical transparency paint a clear picture of research excellence in the UK – research that will only grow in quality as we continue to navigate our way out of the pandemic.
You can read the full results from the PRES here.
