Project: NIHR National Patient Recruitment Centre: Newcastle - Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
The challenge
Dolezal Consulting has been working with Dr Sarah Bowman, Prof Yan Yiannakou and the clinical research team at what is now the NIHR Patient Recruitment Centre: Newcastle on a research-led marketing and communications strategy.
This is a novel concept unit focusing on recruiting to late phase commercial trials by reaching out to the local community, rather than recruiting through hospital clinics. It supports the UK Industrial Strategy and has now been selected as one of only five UK late stage research centres.
The initial focus of the project was to help launch the new Phase 3 Clinical Research Unit and kickstart participant recruitment onto late-stage commercial clinical research trials. It required a new approach to recruitment, not from secondary care or clinics. We were initially drawn to the project because of its clear benefit to the local patient population as well as a focus on common, chronic conditions.
What we did
This work allowed us to develop a close working relationship with the research team as well as a thorough understanding of the clinical research world. We undertook a comprehensive stakeholder analysis, developed relationships in healthcare and research for the Patient Recruitment Centre and developed the digital marketing strategy and campaign plans.
We worked closely with the NIHR (National Institute of Health Research), CRN (Clinical Research Network) and NHS Trust teams to navigate the best communications channels to reach all target audiences, ethically, and with the REC (Research Ethics Committee) to create the soft launch and recruitment campaigns either side of the Covid-19 closure of the unit.
We also helped set up and brand social media profiles for the ResearchPlusMe online registry, and trained the PRC: Newcastle team in social media and content marketing. Together with Dr Bowman we developed a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy for the P3 Unit that could be incorporated into the wider PRC strategy.
We supported the development of a website for the new ResearchPlusMe online registry and new PRC: Newcastle sites, working closely with the clinical research team to understand participants and the messaging that would best engage them, then creating content for all channels.
Working together
This is a project with many internal and external stakeholders, and it has needed a strong collaborative style and regular communication throughout.
"This project needed to blend academic insight, real-world pragmatism, and digital savvy expertise, and bringing Joanne into the project ensured that this could be delivered.
Joanne's ethos is to be respectful, open, share knowledge and experience readily. This meant that we were able to bring advanced, technical and digital marketing skills to the client as well as the wider team."