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  1. Reflections on our RaCeR 2 Site Initiations Visits


Friday 13 September 2024

I am writing this blog on a train back from Carmarthen, Wales, after our latest RaCeR 2 site initiation visit (SIV). Today’s SIV feels quite the milestone as our 30th and final visit! We are also close to reaching the halfway point of recruitment with 318 participants randomised as I write.

Photo 1 Our 30th RaCeR 2 SIV with colleagues in Carmarthen

Earlier in the week we were in the ‘Granite City’, Aberdeen, where the weather was kind, and the sun shone brightly. We received our now customary warm and supportive welcome from colleagues there.

Photo 2 Our 29th RaCeR 2 SIV with colleagues in Aberdeen

Our SIV journey began in May 2023 with visits to Airedale, Calderdale and Huddersfield, and Derby. It has been a long but very rewarding journey! RaCeR 2 opened to recruitment on 1st June 2023 and since then we’ve covered the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales!


From the outset, as a team, we agreed to undertake in-person SIVs. We recognised the logistical challenges this creates for hosts, our team, and the extra expense this incurs. We also recognised that most SIVs, following the pandemic, are conducted remotely, using Teams for example. It has been proposed that in-person SIVs might improve the speed of site set-up and subsequent recruitment, but we could find no research evidence supporting this. So, despite the logistical challenges, extra cost, and lack of evidence of effectiveness, we pursued our ‘gut-feeling’ that in-person SIVs were the right thing to do.


We managed to arrange in-person SIVs at almost every site, the logistical challenges got in the way at one site, which is understandable given the ongoing pressures that colleagues across our NHS are facing!


Now, regrettably, we did not collect data about the ‘effectiveness’ of our in-person SIV approach.  Instead, we asked colleagues from across the recruiting sites how they felt about the RaCeR 2 SIV experience, and below are a few anonymous quotes:

‘From our point of view, having an in person SIV was a real luxury. It gave time to fully discuss, ask questions that many wouldn't have confidence to raise on a teams meeting, and also iron out processes with the ability to have all involved in one room to bounce thoughts back and forth. SIV's on line do work, but the personal touch of an in person meeting certainly made us feel part of the study and more engaging…’

 

‘Face to Face SIV’s may be a rarity now but I feel that the personal touch is very important – we bond much faster face to face – there are no glitches with freezing mid-sentence…it allows our teams to meet all together face to face which with our set up is a rare thing too …and then to top it off the RACER bars they are just the icing on the cake !!!!’

 

‘We tend to opt for remote SIVs when we have a choice between the 2. They seem to be shorter and because of the geography and spread of our trust are often more efficient and accessible for staff. Part time staff, those working remotely that day, or spending a day in FCP can then also access more easily than cancelling a whole morning or afternoon when factoring in travel. It also seems to be getting increasingly difficult to find space to accommodate face to face sessions that do not include the whole department.’

 

‘The SIV we had meant that I could meet who I am working with (you guys) and the PI. I felt this made me feel more relaxed to contact your team with queries and it was nice to check in with the PI as we don’t meet in person regularly. But as you say, there is a cost for travel and time (on your behalf) for organising this.’

 

‘Personally, I think the face-to-face site visit was amazing…I feel the engagement you got from the team with you in person went a lot further…I am sure it is a pain to visit all of the sites, but I feel it really ensures we all feel like one big team and striving for a joint end game, and also people ask questions more readily in person, but may be more intimidated if it was all on Teams.’

 

‘I think there were largely only positives to the in person SIV. It meant people were more interactive and more likely to contribute to the conversation who may have stayed silent on a teams call. It shows a much more personalised approach of the trials team and I think most likely improves engagement with the enquiries during the trial. Special shout out to the Racer chocolate bars, which when working in an environment (NHS) that has very little incentivization or reward was a welcomed addition! I get that the travel for the trials team logistically must have been a nightmare though!’

So, overall, very positive from those who responded, although logistical challenges recognised for both the research team and recruiting site. Perhaps, in the future, a choice should be offered, recognising both the preferences of the recruiting site and the research team. This blog might be helpful to enable colleagues to reflect on what matters most to them and hence their choice of in-person or remote SIV.


Thank you everyone for your support with RaCeR 2, I’m excited about the impact this trial is having and will have in the future.


I’ll look forward to updating you soon!


Chris Littlewood


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