Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis

Description

The Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis was awarded to Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, under the directorship of Professor Mark Batt.

First established in 2013, the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis is led by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and is a consortium of six universities: Nottingham, Oxford, Southampton, Bath, Loughborough and Leeds. The Centre is strengthened by several  international collaborators, with expertise from around the world.

The Centre consists of an established group of world-leading researchers in sport and exercise medicine, orthopaedics, rheumatology, skeletal muscle biology, physiotherapy, podiatry, occupational therapy, epidemiology and physiology.

The first five years of Centre funding (2013-17) focused primarily on research with elite sports including Olympic athletes, professional footballers, cricketers and rugby players. The next five years’ research (2018-22) will build upon existing research findings, focusing specifically on recreational athletes and exercisers, to enhance our understanding of the effects of sport, exercise and injury on musculoskeletal health and osteoarthritis.

The Centre will work with sports representatives, patients, the public and carers, in order to improve the understanding of the effects of sport and exercise on joint injury and osteoarthritis. The Centre’s research will lead to plans for prevention, assessment and treatment of injury, aimed at reducing the risk of later osteoarthritis.

Public involvement in research

Public involvement in research

Patients and the public can have a say about our research, by joining our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Advisory Panel. Public experiences and opinions are important to us. You do not need to have any research experience, just an interest in being involved. We refer to Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) when researchers and healthcare professionals work together with patients and the public to improve health research and related activities. This can help us to improve health services to benefit patients and the public.

Patient and Public Involvement can help us to:

• Make sure our research looks at the questions that are important to patients and the public
• Develop our research plans
• Improve the experience for people who take part in our research
• Share our research news with patients and the public
• Make sure that any screening or treatments that might come from our research are right for patients

What being a member of the Patient and Public Involvement advisory group might involve:

• Giving us comments and opinions on research and research-related documents; these can be sent by email or in the post
• Coming to discussion groups with other panel members, researchers and healthcare workers
• Helping us to tell people about our research

You would be able to choose the activities that interest you. Support will be given, if necessary.

Main Aim of the Patient and Public Involvement Advisory Group:

• To contribute to active and meaningful PPI in arthritis research

Objectives of the Patient and Public Involvement Advisory Group:

• To support, guide and advise us on our research projects
• To help make sure that arthritis research is relevant and useful for patients and the public
• To help us share information and knowledge about arthritis research
• To improve the patient and public experience (both for study participants and for patients)
• To help us make sure that good quality information is available for patients and the public

http://www.sportsarthritisresearchuk.org/