We have regular a campaign to encourage you to record your research to time and target on EDGE. Check back regularly for updates, information, and workshop and drop-in session dates!
We can offer bespoke workshops to your research teams at a venue and date convenient to you for groups of 5 or more. It will be the role of the person booking the workshop to organise the venue and ensure audiovisual equipment is available. To book a bespoke workshop, please contact Lisa Wann, R&I Manager, on lisa.wann@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
What is EDGE?
EDGE is the local portfolio management system (LMPS) that the Trust uses to gather and organise all information about clinical trials and studies that take place at Leicester’s Hospitals.
What is Time and Target?
You may have heard of the ’70-day time and target’ benchmark set out by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). This benchmark has been removed as of 1 April 2018. However, researchers are still expected to start their study as soon as possible after Trust approval is issued and recruit the first participant shortly thereafter for all clinical trials. You must record your first participant swiftly on EDGE.
It is likely that the DHSC will set new benchmarks for initiating studies and recruiting patients in the future, in line with the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery paper. Please check this website for updates and look out for emails and newsletters from the R&I team on this subject.
Why is EDGE data so important?
Data is integral to research, not an add-on or after-thought. It provides quality assurance, an audit trail, lines of accountability, and much more. Fundamentally, it shows what we have agreed to do and how we are performing against those targets.
Data taken from EDGE is used to inform how much funding Leicester receives from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). If the data is under-reported, our funding levels may be reduced, which may limit how much research the Trust can carry out in the future.
Correctly completing EDGE positively impacts on the funding we receive for research. The more funding we receive, the more research we can conduct and the more our patients will benefit.
In addition, our reputation and ability to attract commercial studies depends on how successfully we can carry out research to time and target. Data reported on EDGE is the metric used to determine how well we can fulfil our obligations to commercial and non-commercial funders.
>> Do you #EDGE4Leicester? If so, share your tips on Twitter using this hashtag and copy in the handles @LeicResearch, @Leic_hospital and @EDGEClinical
If you are from another NHS Trust and would like to find out how Leicester uses EDGE to create a paperless research office, please direct your enquiries to Carolyn Maloney, Deputy R&I Chief Operating Officer, on 0116 258 8351.
