Research is the attempt to derive generalisable new knowledge, including studies that aim to generate hypotheses as well as those that aim to test them. Research addresses clearly defined questions, aims and objectives. It can involve evaluating or comparing interventions. It usually involves collecting additional data and may involve additional assessments and tests.
Service evaluations aim to judge a service‘s effectiveness or efficiency through systematic assessment of aims, objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes and costs. They ask questions such as ‘how satisfied are patients with the service being provided?’ Service evaluations are usually specific to a department or clinical area. They measure current service without reference to a standard or benchmark.
Audit is designed and conducted to produce information to inform the delivery of best care or services. It involves an intervention or service already in use, and assesses whether it is meeting given benchmarks and standards, asking questions such as ‘Are all patients in A&E being treated within four hours?’ Audit usually involves analysing existing data but can involve simple questionnaires or interviews.
Determining whether a project is research
In order to determine whether a project is research, please complete the simple decision tree on the Health Research Authority (HRA) website. Research projects must not be conducted without the appropriate regulatory approvals. Members of staff are not insured or indemnified by the Trust unless activities are properly approved.
Approval for non-research projects
Service evaluations must be registered with the R&I department. Please follow the link below to complete the Microsoft Form to register your service evaluation.
https://forms.office.com/e/1BFNppqaEp
NCA’s Trust governance team must have oversight of data being shared outside of the Trust. For service evaluations that involve sharing NCA identifiable or pseudonymised data with external organisations, a data sharing agreement (DSA) and digital assurance screening (DAS) form must be completed by the lead applicant and submitted to the research management team (RMT).
RMT will support the drafting and finalisation of any required data sharing agreements and coordinate the necessary approvals from the Trust’s governance and cyber teams. To cover the costs associated with this research management and cyber governance support, a fee of £350 per project will apply.
The project must not begin before the RMT have reviewed the application and issued an acknowledgement email.
Please forward confirmation that the study is not research, a completed project registration form, project protocol, and a completed DAS and DSA form to RDResearch@nca.nhs.uk. Please ensure the project registration form has been signed by the study lead and study supervisor/department lead before sending. The research nanagement team will coordinate the final signature on behalf of the R&I department once the project has been reviewed.