This Week's Topic: The Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE)
The Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE) is a register of people aged 11 and over who are willing to be invited to take part in research projects and have also consented to allow SHARE to use any leftover blood following routine clinical testing. This will aid health research and improve future healthcare throughout Scotland.
Why does SHARE exist?
Often people who want to be involved in medical research (whether they are unwell or not) don’t know where to start or who to ask. Researchers have a similar problem; they want to do studies but sometimes cannot find people to take part in them.
Getting involved in research studies can range from answering surveys, to having your blood tested, to testing new medical devices and phone apps, and sometimes even participating in clinical trials.
What is a clinical trial?
With the help of volunteers, SHARE can help researchers understand diseases better, and find new ways to prevent or treat illnesses and therefore improve future care. SHARE is for both healthy people and those with medical conditions.
What research projects are SHARE involved with?
SHARE has contributed to many research studies over the years. This covers a huge range of ailments from what some might see as trivial to debilitating and life-limiting diseases. Examples include personal wellbeing, gluten intolerance, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
To Register
To register for SHARE today please visit www.registerforshare.org.
The SHARE Team
SHARE has a team of people to run the register and act as a link between the members of the public who have registered and scientists/clinicians. Most of the SHARE team are based at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee but some work in other hospitals in Scotland. For SHARE to work effectively the team members need to have different skills and career experience. You will meet the women in science members of the team, learn about them and their jobs.
