HealthWise Wales Summer 2017 Newsletter
We now have 10,000 participants!
Thank you to all those who have helped us reach this fantastic figure to support research that will protect the health of future generations.
Supporting mental health research
We recently invited HealthWise Wales Participants to take part in a study run by the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH), to find out more about the causes of mental health problems. There was a great response with 1,100 people engaging with the NCMH online study. If you would like to take part, please visit http://www.ncmh.info/help-with-research/online-study/ The research team is interested in talking to people who have experienced a mental health problem, as well as people who have not, to help learn more about the reasons that some people become unwell. We hope that the research will improve diagnosis and treatments of mental health problems in the future. All information collected for the research will be kept strictly confidential. You do not have to take part in the study. If you do decide to take part, you can stop at any time without giving a reason. This will not alter the care you receive.
Case Studies
Thank you to those who agreed to be part of a case study, we have featured you in our social media and on the website, which has had a great response. WE STILL NEED MORE! They are really helpful for the project in terms of showing the importance of research and why we need your help to make it a success. If you are happy to accept a call from our team to discuss being a case study, please contact healthwisewales@cardiff.ac.uk
Questionnaires for you to complete
In April, we added four short questionnaires especially for pregnant women. So, if you are pregnant, please log on to help us understand your experiences and have your say about maternity care in Wales. You may know others who are pregnant: please encourage friends and family to register too! If you would like to complete the pregnancy questionnaires, but the questions don't appear, please contact the HealthWise Wales team on 0800 9 172 172.
You can still fill out any questionnaires that you haven't yet completed, by logging in at www.healthwisewales.gov.wales/login. If you have forgotten your password, it's easy to change this by following the "Forgotten your password?" link. This is your last chance to complete the "Medicines and Their Cost" questionnaire, as it will be removed from the website in October. This research will help inform plans to reduce waste of medicines in the NHS. New questionnaires for you to complete will be available in October 2017.
Become a member of the Health and Care Research Wales Public Involvement Delivery Board
Do you believe research should be done with the public, for the public?
Would you like the opportunity to influence practice in Welsh Government and across the health and social care infrastructure? We currently have vacancies for public members of the Health and Care Research Wales Public Involvement Delivery Board. We are a friendly, experienced and committed group of public and professional members. We have started on a programme of work designed to promote and develop public involvement and engagement in health and care research. Our aim is to improve the quality, relevance and impact of research for the benefit of the people of Wales. As a public board member, you will need to participate in at least 4 meetings per year as well as being prepared to communicate between meetings by email and attend other occasional meetings and events. This is a voluntary role. Offer of an honorarium and expenses is made for meetings attended. Please contact research_involvement@wales.nhs.uk for further details of the role and how to apply. The closing date is 20 August 2017.
Have your say and make a difference in research
A consultation on 'Standards for Public Involvement in Research' is now open. You have until 1st September to have a say and make a difference. Information and links to the survey are available here in both English and Welsh.
Do you or your family have experience of social care services?
We would like your views on our national plans for research and development. These plans have been developed in partnership with Social Care Wales, Health and Care Research Wales and a range of interested parties including universities, local authorities and members of the public. The draft strategy sets out
● how we plan to involve the public in research
● what the priorities are for research
● how to use the information we collect from you
● how we can ensure people working in social care are well-trained and informed
● how we make sure people are aware of the results of research so that what people do is informed by what we know works well for service users
Your views are important to us. A summary of the strategy is available on the Social Care Wales website. Please let us know what you think. Consultation closes on 21 August. All feedback will be considered and the final strategy launched in Autumn 2017.
