Myeloma UK has awarded grant funding to research teams based at Manchester Royal Infirmary and at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for two new studies in partnership with Myeloma UK.

The grants are part of our Health Services Research Programme which supports innovative research to help improve patient outcomes, wellbeing and quality of life.

Myeloma UK Health Services Research Manager, Sarah Richard said, “We are delighted to announce these new Health Services Research Partnerships. The two research studies we are supporting could have a very tangible impact for myeloma patients. We look forward to working with Manchester Royal Infirmary and NICE over the next two years on these exciting studies.”

Find out more about the studies below:

Prof Sarah Garner, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – Methods for patient-centred decision-making on the availability of new treatments

Funding will support a new type of study at NICE that aims to improve the way patient perspectives are understood and taken into account in decisions about the availability of new treatments.

Decisions by Health Technology Assessment (HTA) bodies such as NICE have a huge impact on patients’ lives, as they determine which treatments patients and their clinicians have access to. However, there is no agreement about how best to understand, capture and use patient perspectives alongside other types of evidence and discussions about the cost of new treatments.

This study will explore best practice in capturing information about patient preferences relating to their condition and treatments. The study will be undertaken in consultation with patient groups, experts and other leading HTA bodies across the world.

Myeloma UK hopes this study will help improve the influence of patients’ views in decisions about which treatments are made available and ultimately improve access to effective myeloma treatments.

Dr Alberto Rocci, Myeloma Lead at Manchester Royal Infirmary - Improving the outcomes of frailer myeloma patients

To date there has been very little research into how best to care for frailer myeloma patients, despite such patients often having fewer treatment options and poorer experiences and quality of life.

This ‘real-world’ study, being delivered in collaboration with the University of Glasgow and The University of Manchester, will look for signs of frailty in myeloma patients. To do this, researchers will conduct tests and look at things like how long it takes a patient to walk a certain distance. After collecting and analysing patient data, they will develop a simple screening test to help assess and monitor patients at risk of frailty.

By exploring new ways to prevent and manage the impact of frailty, Myeloma UK hopes the study will help ensure patients who are frail or at risk of becoming frail have much better outcomes.

How were the studies selected for awards?

All applications for the Health Services Research grant competition were reviewed by external advisors, patients and carers as well as a committee of the Myeloma UK Research Advisory group. The successful studies were chosen on the basis of the quality of the submitted proposal, the relevance the research, potential to benefit patients and value for money.  

Find out more about our Health Services Research Programme.

 

First published: 2 June 2016

<< News