Newsletter - Autumn 2010
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Welcome to the Telescot newsletter for Autumn 2010.
In this edition you will see how well each of the Programme studies are progressing, in particular the first of our trials, HITS Hypertension. Success on all fronts is due to the programme finally having its full complement of staff, but also due to the input of our many collaborators, of whom the WTCRF nurses are featured in this edition. We also hope you like the new layout of the Newsletter which we think makes a much snappier read! Dr Brian McKinstry, Programme Lead. |
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HITing the target!
The HITS: Hypertension trial target of 400 has been reached and recruitment has finished. Well done and thank you to everyone involved:
- the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility community research nurses Avril, Catherine, Fran and Helen who collected all the data for the trial. They are now completing the follow-up appointments;
- the office trial team Lisa & Jenny who process the data;
- the 20 GP practices in Lothian who have been involved. Many thanks to everyone at these practices for welcoming us in and especially to those involved in monitoring blood pressure (we will be sending certificates to everyone who took part in the study to recognise your contribution);
- our qualitative researcher Jenny Ure involved in data collection and analysis;
- all the patients who volunteered to help our research;
- and Mary Paterson, our trial manager, for her hard work in getting to this target.
The Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility community research nurses
have been diligently collecting baseline and follow up data from patients both in general practices throughout Lothian for the HITS Hypertension trial and in patients’ homes for the COPD trial. We also plan to involve them in the diabetes and stroke trials.
The nursing team pictured above, from left to right:
Helen Cockburn, Avril Cairns, Catherine Beveridge and Fran Dougherty.
have been diligently collecting baseline and follow up data from patients both in general practices throughout Lothian for the HITS Hypertension trial and in patients’ homes for the COPD trial. We also plan to involve them in the diabetes and stroke trials.
The nursing team pictured above, from left to right:
Helen Cockburn, Avril Cairns, Catherine Beveridge and Fran Dougherty.
COPD trial updateWe have now recruited more than half of our target patients for the COPD trial thanks to the hard work of our clinical colleagues: the comunity respiratory team in Edinburgh, general practices throughout Lothian, Midlothian Anticipatory Care Service (MACS) nurses and the respiratory nurse specialists.
We have just started recruiting patients East Lothian, and thanks to the fantastic enthusiasm of the GPs there we expect to complete our recruitment to the trial by March 2011. The crucial question of what patients and professionals involved in the service actually think of the equipment and the service is being addressed our qualitative researcher, Peter Fairbrother, who has interviewed 30 patients and 30 staff throughout Lothian. New Telescot publication: our pre-trial pilot study report on telemetry-supported care for COPD in the Lothian Region is now avaible for download - click here to get it. |
Coming soonTelemetry trial for type 2 diabetes... In the Spring next year we will be starting a new trial which will look at the impact of introducing telemetry-aided, supervised self-monitoring for type 2 diabetes. This will investigate a similar model and kit to that used in the HITS hypertension trial.
We will again be working in collaboration with General Practices, the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility and the Scottish Promary Care Research Network recruit 320 patients from Lothian and possibly further afield for this trial. and for stroke Seeing how blood pressure is affected by telemetry-aided self monitoring in patients who have had a stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack) will be the focus of the last study in the Telescot Programme. The protocol of the trial is currently being finalised and we hope to start this trial in late Spring 2011, and will be complemented by a qualitative study as with the other trials. |
The Telescot team staff
The staff team pictured above, from left to right: Lucy McCloughan, Allison Todd, Jenny Ure, Peter Fairbrother, Brian McKinstry, Lisa Wood, Mary Paterson and Jenny Holmes. (Not pictured: Hilary Pinnock and Janet Hanley.)
We are pleased to announce that our 'temporary' administrator, Jenny Holmes will now be with us until the end of the Telescot Programme. Jenny works alongside Lisa Wood, our other administrator to ensure that the telescot trials and other studies run smoothly.
We are also welcoming back our Programme Manager Dr Lucy McCloughan from maternity leave, and say a big thanks and best wishes to Jen Waterton, who provided cover while Lucy was away.
We are pleased to announce that our 'temporary' administrator, Jenny Holmes will now be with us until the end of the Telescot Programme. Jenny works alongside Lisa Wood, our other administrator to ensure that the telescot trials and other studies run smoothly.
We are also welcoming back our Programme Manager Dr Lucy McCloughan from maternity leave, and say a big thanks and best wishes to Jen Waterton, who provided cover while Lucy was away.
Our thanks, as always, to our sponsors and funders, and to all participating staff and patients who make this programme of research possible.
