Clinical trials internet resource
November 2004
Further information
Useful websites
The following websites contain further information about clinical trials for both healthcare professionals and for the general public. However, please note that these links are to sites unrelated to the BMA. We can accept no responsibility for their content.
Registers of ongoing trials
Current Controlled Trials (Go to the website here - www.controlled-trials.com)
The current controlled trials website is aimed at patients, trial sponsors and health care professionals. The website contains a searchable meta-register of clinical trial registers. Some information is complex.
Trialscentral (Go to the website here - www.trialscentral.org)
This is a US website with links to databases of international clinical trials. It also has a section answering questions frequently asked by patients considering participation in a trial and provides links to Cochrane Groups.
National Research Register (Go to the website here - www.nrr.nhs.uk)
National Research Register (NRR) is a register of ongoing and recently completed research projects funded by, or of interest to, the NHS.
Medical Research Council (Go to the website here - www.mrc.ac.uk)
This site contains information about the Medical Research Council (MRC) research and a database of MRC funded projects. www.ctu.mrc.ac.uk is the website of the MRC Clinical Trials Unit which contains information aimed at healthcare professionals on current trials run by the Unit and some patient information about clinical trials.
Databases of systematic reviews of the results of controlled trials
The Cochrane Library (Go to the website here - www.cochrane.org)
A quarterly electronic publication containing:
- The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE)
- The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register
- The NHS Economic Evaluation Database
- The Health Technology Assessment Database
- The Cochrane Library is now available free at the point of use for everyone working in the NHS and the UK Higher Education sector through the National
Electronic Library for Health (Go to the website here - www.nelh.nhs.uk).
Department of Health (Go to the website here - www.dh.gov.uk)
Provides access to research and development research findings via the Research Findings electronic Register (ReFeR), a database of the findings of completed research from the NHS R&D Programme and the Department of Health Policy Research Programme. It also contains the Effectiveness Information Services, a database of information sources to help health professionals find clinical evidence.
Information for healthcare workers
Department of Health Research and Development (Go to the website here - www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/ResearchAndDevelopment
This website contains general information about research and development in the Department of Health as well as links to the National Research Register, the Standing Group on Consumers in NHS Research, the Department’s Research Findings electronic Register (ReFeR).
Healthwatch UK (Go to the website here - www.healthwatch-uk.org)
Healthwatch UK is a charity that promotes the assessment of treatment, consumer protection of health care and better understanding of the value of clinical trials by the public and media.
Netting the Evidence (Go to the website here - www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/ir/netting/)
A resource provided by Sheffield School of Health Related Research (ScHARR) that contains links to sources of evidence based healthcare information.
Information for patients
Cancerbackup (Go to the website here - www.cancerbackup.org.uk)
Cancerbackup is a cancer charity providing information and services to cancer patients, their friends and families. The website provides comprehensive information on clinical trials.
Aidsmap (Go to the website here - www.aidsmap.com)
Aidsmap is an AIDS information site that provides information on taking part in clinical trials. It also includes a database of current UK trials.
The Royal Marsden Hospital (Go to the website here - www.royalmarsden.org/home.asp)
The Royal Marsden Hospital is the UK’s leading comprehensive cancer centre. This site has a patient information section and contains basic information about research being carried out at the hospital.
CancerHelp UK (Go to the website here - www.cancerhelp.org.uk)
CancerHelp UK is an information service about cancer and cancer care for the general public from the Cancer Research Campaign. The website includes information on clinical trials and a database of current UK cancer trials.
Association of Medical Research Charities (Go to the website here - www.amrc.org.uk)
AMRC provides information on medical and health research, including new and debated research. It also has a section of checklists appropriate for patients on who to trust, and what to ask, when gathering information about medical research.
Other useful sites
COPE (Go to the website here - www.publicationethics.org.uk)
The Committee on Publication Ethics started in 1997 and has subsequently taken on the role of an action group trying to raise awareness of, and work on, the prevention of research misconduct.
COREC (Go to the website here - www.corec.org.uk)
The Central Office for Research Ethics Committees works on behalf of the Department of Health.
AREC (Go to the website here - www.arec.org.uk)
The Association of Research Ethics Committees is an umbrella group for research ethics committees in the NHS, universities, the independent sector and research establishments which deal with ethical review of scientific research involving human participants.
Office for National Statistics (Go to the website here - www.statistics.gov.uk)
National Statistics provides a range of advice on statistical methods and quality, and produced the Statistics Code of Practice. This sets out shared good practices and 12 key principles for providers of national statistics. The White Paper ‘Building Trust in Statistics’ sets out the framework for quality assuring national statistics.
The Royal Statistical Society (Go to the website here - www.rss.org.uk)
This has a code of professional conduct for its Fellows.
American Statistical Association (Go to the website here - www.amstat.org)
This association has published a comprehensive ‘Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice’ document. Possible inclusion of a glossary of terms – maybe comes up on the side of the online document.