Collaborative clinician-led research networks

Editor – We commend Rajasekhar et al on their development of the Northern Region Endoscopy Group (NREG) in 2007 (Clin Med April 2014 pp 107–12) to facilitate high-quality, multicentre research, service improvement and audit activity within endoscopic practice in their region.

The nature of their collaborative research is familiar to dermatology through the ‘UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network’ (UK DCTN),¹ which was formed five years prior to the NREG with the aim of prioritising and developing independent, high-quality clinical trials for people with skin diseases. The UK DCTN now comprises a multidisciplinary membership of over 750 dermatologists, dermatology nurses, health services researchers, patients and carers.

Trial suggestions from UK DCTN members are prioritised and developed using a rigorous and predefined process.² Funding for individual studies arises from external grant applications made to the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and charitable bodies.

The UK DCTN has been successful in securing over £8 million in independent funding over the last 10 years and to date has completed four multicentre randomised controlled trials, all of which have resulted in high-profile publications. An example is the prophylactic antibiotics for the treatment of cellulitis at home (PATCH) (penicillin to prevent recurrent leg cellulitis) study.³ Other studies are currently either in development or are open to recruitment. This method of working has been particularly beneficial in the research of rare conditions whereby multicentre input is paramount in recruitment of adequate participant numbers.

The importance of building research capacity among healthcare professionals is recognised through an annual award scheme, which is open to trainees, staff and associate specialist doctors, general practitioners and nurses, and the formation of a UK DCTN Trainee Group, which is led by former trainee award holders.

An extension to the success of our UK DCTN initiative is the International Federation of Dermatology Clinical Trial Networks (IF DCTN).⁴ This network aims to share good practice in performing independent dermatology clinical trials internationally, to improve the quality of design and reporting of dermatology clinical trials, and to collaborate on undertaking clinical trials of rare skin diseases across the world.

Putting healthcare professionals, patients and carers on the front line ensures the delivery of meaningful and clinically-relevant research which is facilitated by our group.⁵ We encourage others to adopt this framework of collaborative research as an efficient method of addressing the many uncertainties that face healthcare professionals and patients.

• © 2014 Royal College of Physicians