As of July 2019 the NIHR BioResource Centre Newcastle will be the first project sponsored by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals to begin using electronic consent (e-Consent) to sign up volunteers.
e-Consent is a platform for consenting volunteers using a computer-based consent form rather than traditional paper consent.
The BioResource Centre Newcastle collects and stores participant information on a secure system called REDCap. This system, managed by the Information team in Newcastle’s Joint Research Office, will allow volunteers to read and sign consent forms on a computer, mobile phone, or tablet. By piloting electronic consent the BioResource will be supporting Newcastle Hospitals in their goal of becoming ‘Paperlite’ as well as making the process quicker and easier for volunteers.
The NIHR BioResource is a collaboration between 13 different centres across England, which are building a panel of research-ready volunteers. The aim is to make recruitment to clinical research and trials of new drugs or treatments more efficient. Improved access to research volunteers will ensure that research can be completed quickly and effectively, making it easier to bring new treatments to market. The BioResource Centre at Newcastle is funded through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), a partnership between the Newcastle Hospitals and the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University. It works across Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University to support volunteers and researchers.
The NIHR BioResource Centre Newcastle and the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre are key contributors to the world-class environment supporting research into ageing and health in Newcastle, which is delivering benefits to patients and the public resident in the North East, as well as impacting nationally and globally. Newcastle already has an international reputation in the field of ageing and long-term conditions and has created a well-established community of experts and practitioners, tackling some of the biggest challenges an ageing population poses to society. Initiatives like the BRC further this, by bringing together scientists, healthcare professionals and industry to advance the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of long-term conditions and ageing syndromes and to deliver new ways to improve the quality of life for older people.
Contact our local BioResource team for more information on volunteering or about how they can support your research: