Useful links with info for medical research volunteers
Links for Medical Volunteers & Research Professionals
(Swap or recommend links here)
TOPS Link - Be warned of the dangers to over volunteering!
TOPS: www.tops.org.uk
TOPS is a database shared by most Clinical Research Organisations in the UK to record when healthy volunteers take part in trials and to help prevent them from taking part too often. Healthy volunteers must not take part too often in trials of new medicines, for scientific, medical and ethical reasons:
-
if the gap between 2 trials is too short, or 2 trials overlap, the medicines might interact;
-
taking too many blood samples could cause anaemia; and
-
it's unethical to expose healthy people too often to medicines they don't need
General Clinical Trial Related Links
Clinical Trials Portal: www.clinicaltrialsportal.co.uk
A free information service for anyone working within the clinical trials industry, or wanting more information on related aspects. This site will soon include details on many of the research clinics in the UK.
CancerHelp UK: www.cancerhelp.org.uk
This is a free information service about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. It is produced by the charity Cancer Research UK. They have a search feature to help people find cancer clinical trials as well as helpful background information on trials.
Cancer BACUP: www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Trials/Search
CancerBACUP offers a free up-to-date cancer information, practical advice and support to people with cancer and their families in the UK. Their website section about cancer research trials has general information about trials as well as a search engine which looks through a number of databases for cancer research trials in the UK and Europe.
Declaration of Helsinki: www.wma.net/e/policy/b3.htm
The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the Declaration of Helsinki as a statement of ethical principles to provide guidance to members of the medical community and other participants in medical research which involves humans.
INVOLVE: www.invo.org.uk
INVOLVE aims to promote and support active public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research. You can find out more about how researchers and patients can work together at all stages of a clinical trial from the initial planning through to publicising the results.
MRC Clinical Trials Unit: www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk
You can browse all of the trials that the Medical Research Council’s Clinical Trials Unit has open to recruitment on their website.
National Translational Cancer Research Network: www.ntrac.org.uk/Patients
Funded by the NHS, this site has a list of early treatment trials for people with cancer that are currently recruiting patients.
National AIDS Manual: www.aidsmap.com
The National AIDS Manual, NAM, produces a list of trials in the UK in HIV/AIDS. The website also has helpful background information on clinical trials.
National Institutes of Health: www.clinicaltrials.gov
This American website has useful background information on clinical trials. It also has details of some of the ongoing trials in the US.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI): www.cancer.gov/clinical_trials
Is a central point for clinical trials on cancer in the US. The NCI website provides information on understanding cancer trials, types of cancer and how to find clinical trials. Most U.S. government agencies that conduct cancer research, such as DOD or VA, do so in partnership with NCI.
The National Research Register: www.nrr.nhs.uk
The National Research Register (NRR) is a database of ongoing recently completed research projects that have been funded by the NHS, or are relevant to the NHS. You can search the database online.
School Science: www.schoolscience.co.uk/content
Useful if you’re at school, or working with young people. Includes some exercises and lots of information about trials.
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA): www.mhra.gov.uk
European Medicines Agency: www.emea.eu.int
Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC): www.corec.org.uk
Gene Therapy Advisory Committee: www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/genetics/gtac/index.htm
UK Trial Managers Network: www.tmn.ac.uk
UK Clinical Research Collaboration: www.ukcrc.org
Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit: www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk
NHS Research and Development Forum: www.rdforum.nhs.uk
RD Direct: www.rddirect.org.uk
UK Health Departments R&D Pages - England: www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/ResearchAndDevelopment/fs/en
Wales: www.word.wales.gov.uk
Scotland: www.show.scot.nhs.uk/cso
Northern Ireland: www.centralservicesagency.com/display/rdo
Medical Research Council: www.mrc.ac.uk
List of Funders: www.rdinfo.org.uk
Chief Scientist Office (Scotland): www.show.scot.nhs.uk/cso
Applied Clinical Trials Magazine: www.actmagazine.com/appliedclinicaltrials
Clinical Disovery Magazine: www.clinicaldiscovery.com
A magazine dedicated to the Clinical R&D Community in the UK.
SoCRA: www.socra.org
The Society of Clinical Research Associates, Inc., is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to the continuing education and development of clinical research professionals.
Other Unrelated General Links
ADD ADHD: www.thehealthcentre.info
Learn more about ADD and ADHD in children, teens and adults. Resources discuss ADD/ADHD symptoms, causes and treatment options.
