Join our patient and research opportunities
Our Patient Panel is continuing to grow and we now have 25 members signed up, but we would love to recruit many more people of different ages and from different backgrounds. Could this be you?
You are an expert in your own experience, and your perspective can help guide our work to influence blood pressure care in the UK. The Pressure Panel is a small group of people affected by high blood pressure who are willing to share feedback every now and then, by questionnaire every few months, through video sessions on zoom or by participating in external research.
Phil Pyatt, CEO of Blood Pressure UK said “We’re really excited by the prospect of what the Patient Panel can offer in the future, helping us to shape the vision of Blood Pressure UK, as well as contributing to external research and awareness raising. We are keen to increase our numbers, and welcome people of all ages and backgrounds that can help us have a representative voice on blood pressure from across the UK to sign up.”
Topics could include:
- Your experience of treatment, such as whether you have enough support from us and your healthcare professionals to manage side effects.
- Language, including whether the language we and healthcare professionals use is inclusive and easy to understand.
- Advice, such as whether the advice we give is practical given your lived experience, and what stands in the way of you achieving your health goals.
- Campaigning on matters such as better labelling for salt on food packaging.
- Experiences with GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals, such as whether you felt you could have been supported more to manage your own health at home.
It’s very important to us that our work and recommendations involve the experience of people living with high blood pressure. If you would like to be involved, please contact info@bloodpressureuk.org
Upcoming research you can get involved in
- (please note this is external to Blood Pressure UK and we are not endorsing any of the studies, purely putting them forward for you to get involved)
Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care (Oxford University)
Over 50% of people aged 65+ years take at least one blood pressure medication in England. These medications provide benefits such as reduced risk of stroke and heart attack. However, they do have potential drawbacks including increased risk of serious falls and side effects.
Research is therefore underway in the Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care (Oxford University) to identify which of these benefits/drawbacks people consider to be most important. This information will ultimately contribute towards the improvement of medication reviews and their delivery.
The survey is split into two sections: one for the person taking blood pressure medications (‘care recipient') and one for their chosen family member or friend. It is no problem if you can only complete one section – all responses are very valued.
Additionally, all questions are optional, the survey is anonymous and no background knowledge or personal medical information is required. Each section takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete – please click on the link below to go to the survey
If you have any questions about the study or would prefer a paper copy of the survey - please do not hesitate to contact - rebecca.garnett@phc.ox.ac.uk. She is more than happy to help!
Institute of Medical Sciences - University of Aberdeen
David J Blackbourn, Professor of Virology at the University of Aberdeen is working as part of a team at the University of Aberdeen to create a new medicine for high blood pressure.
They are now undertaking market research to determine whether there is a gap in the marketplace for a new kind of medicine to regulate high blood pressure.
Because of the way it would work, they believe their medicine would be more effective than current treatments and have fewer and less severe side-effects. It should also work even in those people who either can’t or struggle to control their blood pressure with current medicines.
They would very much appreciate your completing this brief survey as a patient with high blood pressure or a clinician with an interest in managing it. It will take only 1 minute of your time and will help them understand if there is support to continue our work.
Click the link if you are willing and able to help