Lived Experience Advisory Panel (LEAP): Update and Postcard

A quick update for the LEAP-

1) We are nearly half way through the PRIMROSE clinical trial which is aiming to test whether a primary care led service for managing cardiovascular risk can lower cholesterol and improve health outcomes for people with severe mental illnesses

2) We are aiming to recruit 70 GP practices by June 2015 and have recruited 48 GP practices to date

3) Of 350 patients we have recruited 131 patients so far.

We have also started a qualitative research study, which has just been submitted to ethics and will involve two researchers recruited from the LEAP. This will be looking at why people engage in research and trials like PRIMROSE or not.

Message/ Postcard-

We also need your advice. What do you think would be the best way to keep patients involved in between 6 and 12 month appointments at their GPs? Would it be good to send people a message, such as a postcard, to keep people engaged in PRIMROSE and the service? What should it say (e.g. thank you) and look like.

Ideas most welcome!

Email:
bengray@mcpin.org

The Primrose Project: User- Led Research

The Primrose project is entering a very exciting phase and recruiting people from GP surgeries with mental health problems at risk of heart disease. The intervention will be tested on these participants to see if it can help people to improve their physical and heart health. The intervention is a practice nurse service in GP surgeries aimed at improving people's physical and heart health.

The LEAP is also entering an exciting phase. Two peer researchers have been selected from the main LEAP to conduct user- led research on why people choose to participate in research like Primrose or not. The aim is to improve the recruitment and engagement of people in future studies and trials.

A main LEAP will be held at the end of this research, late 2015, so that everyone stays involved and to get feedback from the LEAP.