Cardiology Research

Cardiology research mainly deals with commercial drug trials. There are exemplar portfolio studies funded by the NIHR and also private academic studies funded by Liverpool and Oxford universities. The universities employ their own staff by paying the wages for the staff. NIHR funded trials and few of the commercial trials are run by nurses who are employed by the CLRN. Because cardiology research is an established experienced unit, it can afford to pay for its own staff, hence we have staff who are funded by the research unit and are mainly doing the commercial studies, and also the portfolio studies.
The commercial drug trials are mainly run by the pharmaceutical companies. Most of the medicines on trial at the moment is for long term use in cardiac patients. There are strict inclusion criteria for recruiting patients in to the trial. Patients are recruited to the trial, provided with the study medication and will be followed up for minimum of two years according to the study protocol. Patient care and safety is always the most important point all the way through. If at all at some points if we feel that it is better for the patient not to continue in the trial, we always discontinue patients from the trial.
Patients always benefit from the extra time and attention they get from nurses and research doctors which wont be available for normal patients who are not in the programme. They also will have access to the new treatment option which is not available for other patients. They will have a point of contact 24 hours if any concern. Whilst they have the 3 month follow ups in the clinic, they will be given health advise on various things. Weight check is done and advice will be given on weight control. For patients who smoke, a fast track referal will be given for smoking cessation clinic. Routine medicine check will be done to make sure patients are on right drugs. Regular contact with the GP surgery also helps with the holistic patient care. Research nurses contact other clinics, or appointment areas if the patient has any issues of that kind.