New research investigates recruitment of children to clinical trials

News release from the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment

21 March 2007

New HTA research is investigating ways to improve the recruitment of children to clinical trials. The research team, led by Dr Bridget Young of the University of Liverpool , will look at how families and trial staff communicate during trial recruitment and the views of those involved, to develop recommendations on the clearest ways of explaining trials to families.

The methodological study will use four different trials as case studies. Families that agree to participate in clinical trials and those who do not agree will be involved in the study. This is to help understand different perspectives so improvements can be made in the ways all families are approached. Children and trial staff will also be interviewed. The study will be scrutinised by independent experts to make certain that the recommendations for explaining clinical trials to families are properly balanced and ethically sound.

“It is important that researchers can recruit enough children to take part in clinical trials so that more effective and safer treatments can be designed specifically for children,” says Dr Young. “It is hoped that our research will help in this by working out ways of explaining the details of trials so that families can best make up their own minds about whether to participate.”

The HTA programme has commissioned a portfolio of research projects in support of the Medicines for Children Research Network (MCRN), set up to target the development of safe and effective medicines for the treatment of youngsters aged newborn to 18.

For full project details visit the HTA programme website www.hta.ac.uk/project/1530.asp

Notes for editors


  1. The HTA programme is a programme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and produces high quality research information about the effectiveness, costs, and broader impact of health technologies for those who use, manage and provide care in the NHS. It is the largest of the NIHR programmes and publishes the results of its research in the Health Technology Assessment journal, with more than 400 issues published to date. The journal’s 2007 Impact Factor (3.87) ranked it in the top 10% of medical and health-related journals. All issues are available for download free of charge from the website, www.hta.ac.uk The HTA programme is coordinated by the National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA), based at the University of Southampton.
  2. The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility.  The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training.  Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. www.nihr.ac.uk

Contact details

Naomi Stockley, Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 646, Email: ns5@soton.ac.uk

Helen Nikandrou, Assistant Programme Manager (Communications)
Telephone: 02380 595 584, Email: h.nikandrou@soton.ac.uk

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