EPIC is jointly funded by National Institute for Health Research, Health Services and Delivery Research Programme and INVOLVE. The project description for EPIC is available here.

In brief EPIC contains four phases:

Phase 1: Data extraction about patient and public involvement (PPI) from a cohort of NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA)http://www.hta.ac.uk/ applications funded between 2006-2010.

Phase 2: Surveys of Chief Investigators and patient/public involvement (PPI) representatives from the HTA cohort.

Phase 3: Qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of respondents to phase 2 aiming to triangulate perspectives from Chief Investigators, PPI representatives and Clinical Trials Unit staff.

Phase 4: Survey of the UKCRC registered clinical trials units (CTUs)http://www.ukcrc-ctu.org.uk/to identify their current role (RCTUs) in delivery of PPI and identify whether efficiency could be gained by developing strategic plans for future PPI and support of PPI across the network of registered CTUs to optimise future PPI.  Directors of each CTU will be contacted an asked to nominate an individual to participate in a telephone interview and attend the CTU event on 11th November 2013.  To help prepare for the interview a set of questions to consider are available (CTU survey).

EVENTS:11th November 2013Event for the UKCRC registered clinical trials units. Results of the surveys will be presented and attendees asked to participate in a workshop on optimising future PPI in clinical trials.  Agenda will be posted here at a later date.