RecruitingOBSERVATIONAL

The National Musculoskeletal Audit and Research Database

This project is all about improving the care for people in the UK who have problems with their muscles, bones, or joints – often called musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. We're developing a new national system to monitor and evaluate the quality of care provided in community clinics and GP surgeries. This system will collect information directly from patients and healthcare professionals about their experiences and the care they receive. By gathering this data, we can understand how well different services are performing and identify areas where care could be improved. The ultimate goal is to make sure everyone with an MSK condition receives consistently high-quality care, helping them to feel better and improve their daily lives.

At a glance

Status

Recruiting

Sponsor

Keele University

Enrolment target

22,000

Start

07 May 2024

Estimated completion

07 Jun 2028

Musculoskeletal Diseases

What is this study about?

Imagine you have a problem with your shoulder, and you visit your local GP or a community healthcare clinic. This project is looking at how well these services are doing in treating common muscle, bone, and joint conditions. It’s like creating a national report card for these services to see what’s working well and where improvements can be made.

We’re building a new system, called a national audit, to collect information. This information will come from both patients, who can share their experiences and how their treatment is helping them, and the healthcare professionals, who can share details about the care they provide. By collecting this information digitally, we can get a clear picture of the quality of care across many different clinics and GP practices throughout the country.

The main aim is to use this information to understand and then improve the quality and consistency of care for everyone with these types of conditions. By seeing what’s effective and where things might be falling short, we can work towards making sure that care is top-notch and similar no matter where you live in the UK.

Key takeaways

Aims to improve care for muscle, bone, and joint conditions.
Developing a new national system to check care quality in local clinics and GPs.
Collects feedback from both patients and healthcare professionals.
Helps make care better and more consistent across the UK.
Participation for patients involves completing a questionnaire.

Who may be eligible?

This project involves collecting information from healthcare services and patients. Healthcare services that can take part include community clinics specialising in muscle, bone, and joint conditions, as long as they care for adults (over 18) and have enough staff (at least 10 full-time healthcare professionals) and systems to collect digital patient feedback.

GP practices can also be involved if they have a First Contact Practitioner (a physiotherapist or similar expert working directly in a GP surgery) who sees adults with muscle, bone, and joint problems. These GP practices need to use specific patient record systems (EMIS or SYSTMONE) and be able to use a special template for collecting information.

For patients, you can participate if you are 18 years or older, have a working phone number or email address, and are able to give your clear permission to take part. However, if you have said you don't want your data used for research as part of your general consent to care, or if health issues like severe illness, significant learning difficulties, or serious mental health problems prevent you from completing surveys, then you would not be able to join in.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years or older?
Do you have a working phone number or email address?
Can you provide your clear permission to take part (consent)?
Are you able to complete surveys without significant difficulty due to health issues?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you are a patient, taking part in this project would involve filling out a questionnaire. You would be asked to share your experiences and how your muscle, bone, or joint condition is affecting you and how the care you're receiving is helping. This would be done digitally, either via a phone number or email address you provide. There are no special visits, assessments, medications, or ongoing treatments involved as part of this specific project. It’s purely about sharing your feedback through a survey.

Potential risks and benefits

The main benefit of taking part is contributing to a better understanding of how muscle, bone, and joint conditions are cared for across the UK, potentially leading to improved and more consistent services for everyone. For patients, there are very few direct risks as participation involves completing a questionnaire about your experiences, and your information will be handled confidentially. For services, it offers a way to benchmark their care and identify areas for improvement. You are free to withdraw your consent at any time without providing a reason, which will not affect your usual care.

Locations (1)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Keele University
Verified postcode
Keele, United Kingdom· Recruiting

Common questions

What kind of conditions are included?

This project is looking at common muscle, bone, and joint conditions, which are often called musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions.

Will my personal details be shared?

All information collected will be handled confidentially, meaning your personal details will be protected and not directly linked to the survey results shared publically.

Do I have to do anything special to participate if I'm a patient?

As a patient, your part would usually involve completing a questionnaire about your experiences with your care for your muscle, bone, or joint condition.

How long will this project last?

The project is about developing and setting up a new national audit system, which will then continuously collect data to monitor care over time.

Who is running this project?

This is a national project focused on improving care for muscle, bone, and joint conditions across the UK.

How to find out more

Roanna Burgess, Dr

r.m.burgess@keele.ac.uk 01782733900 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.