Please read the following information before deciding whether or not to take part in the study, if you have any questions or require further information, please email Dr Daniel Bailey, at researchnetwork@ncor.org.uk.
1.Study title
NCOR Research Network (NCOR-RN) Chrome Extension for Cliniko Feasibility Study
2. Invitation
We would like to invite you to take part in a study to assess the functionality of a newly developed software application that can collect data about you from the electronic records system used by your osteopath and combine it with specific information relating to your symptoms. The potential benefit of the software is that it could streamline the collection of patient’s data for the purpose of clinical research.
3. What is the purpose of the study?
The aim of this study is to test the functionality of a newly developed Chrome Extension. A Chrome Extension is a piece of software that works with a Chrome based web browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, to perform automatic functions. The Chrome Extension we are testing combines your personal information stored in your osteopath’s electronic notes system, called Cliniko, with specific information about your symptoms that your osteopath will ask you. The personal information that will be collected about you by the Chrome Extension is: name, date of birth, sex, mobile telephone number, email address, dates of any appointments, location of your symptoms, the duration of symptoms, a pain score from 0 to 10, and whether you have seen any other healthcare professionals about your symptoms.
4. Why have I been invited?
You have been invited because you have booked an initial appointment with an osteopath who uses Cliniko electronic patient notes system and is part of the National Council for Osteopathic Research’s, Research Network (NCOR-RN); a network of clinics that engage in clinical research to help improve patient care.
5. Do I have to take part?
No, your involvement in this study is purely voluntary and of course you do not have to take part if you do not want to. The care you will receive from your osteopath, or any other health care professional now or in the future will not be affected, regardless of whether you choose to take part or not. You are also free to withdraw from the study at any time and this will not affect your ongoing care in any way.
6. What will happen to me if I take part?
As part of the first appointment with an osteopath, it is normal to be asked lots of questions about your symptoms and your past medical history. In many clinics, including the one you have made an appointment at, this information is recorded in specialised clinical software called Cliniko. We are testing a new piece of software, a Chrome Extension, that can ‘talk to’ Cliniko to extract information that is helpful in conducting clinical research to improve treatment for patients. We invite you to consent to allow us to access the following personal information stored in Cliniko and combine it with routine information about your symptoms. You will not be asked anything that you would not normally be asked during an osteopathic appointment. We would also like to send you a text message every week to ask what your pain is on a scale of 0-10. You simply need to reply to the text with a number between 0-10. This will continue for 12-weeks, so you will receive 12 text messages for each separate area of pain you have.
7. What do I have to do?
When you attend for your first appointment with your osteopath, they may ask you if you would like to take part in the study by agreeing to share your information and be contacted via text message. You can choose to take part or not at this point.
8. What are the possible benefits of taking part?
There are no personal benefits to taking part, but your participation will help to further our understanding in the management of musculoskeletal pain conditions.
9. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
There are no known risks to you from taking part other than the inconvenience of having to reply to the text messages.
10. What if there is a problem?
You should contact the lead researcher, Dr Daniel Bailey at researchnetwork@ncor.org.uk. If you still have a problem, you should contact NCOR’s Director, Dr Jerry Draper-Rodi at jerry.draper-rodi@uco.ac.uk.
11. Will my taking part in the study remain confidential?
Yes, all the information you give us will be treated in the strictest confidence and used only for research purposes by NCOR. All the information collected will be anonymised before being analysed or published. All information will be stored on secure password protected servers and only be accessible to the research team or associated technicians and developers for the purpose of providing support. Any information that enters the public domain, such as journal publications, will be reviewed to ensure no personal information is included or that individual participants can be identified.
12. What will happen to the results from the study?
The results of the study will eventually be shared through journal publications and presentations at conferences to develop and enhance data collection in national studies.
13. Who is organising the research?
The research is organised by the National Council of Osteopathic Research, and the study was approved by Health Sciences University (HSU), Research Ethics Committee. The study is being led by Dr Daniel Bailey, email: daniel.bailey@uco.ac.uk.