Four weeks to apply to QInnovation

QResearch has issued a final call for entries to its QInnovation Award, which offers clinical researchers grants of up to £10,000.

QResearch is a database of anonymised information gathered from 697 practices using Emis clinical computer systems.

It is used to generate a number of ‘scores’ for patients who may be at risk of various conditions, and for surveillance and research.

The QInnovation Award is open to teams that are undertaking research projects “that are likely to benefit patients or improve clinical care in primary, community or secondary health.”

Teams must be able to show that they can complete a project within two years of an award, and must include one member with post-grad research experience.

Entries will be accepted until 5pm on 31 January this year. Two awards are available, one for any suitable project, and one for practices that contribute to QResearch.

Last year, two awards were made, one of which went to Dr Tim Walter from the Falkland Surgery in Newbury, who is interested in diabetes risk identification and intervention.

Dr Walter, who is a judge this year, and said in a statement: “With support from the clinical commissioning group, we were able to screen 113,000 patients for diabetes risk using QDiabetes, and invite those identified to take part in a specially designed weight and fitness management course.

“Nearly a third responded. Using the research results, we’ve been able to develop a step-by-step toolkit for CCGs to follow at-risk patients.”

More information about the project, and a link to the toolkit is available on the Newbury Pre-Diabetes (preDM) Project website.

Dr Julia Hippisley-Cox, professor of clinical epidemiology and general practice at Nottingham University, and a co-founder of QResearch, urged “clinicians across the NHS” to think about applying, stressing that QInnovation is now open to teams outside primary care.