Promoting inclusivity by ensuring that all patients with mental health issues are offered research opportunities in the NHS

Abstract

Research-active clinical services have lower mortality rates and produce higher quality care outcomes, however, recruiting participants to clinical research in the National Health System (NHS) remains challenging.1 A recent study, assessing the feasibility of clinical staff electronically documenting patient consent to discuss research participation, indicated very low patient uptake, limiting its effectiveness as a strategy for improving access to research.2 A follow-on study comparing this ‘opt-in’ approach with an ‘opt-out’ approach, whereby patients are informed about research opportunities unless they indicate otherwise, found that patients and staff favoured an ‘opt-out’ approach and wanted research to be more accessible.