The MIDAS Trial

RE Research Study: Medicines Support and SocIal Prescribing to aDdress pAtient prioritieS in multimorbidity (MIDAS): A cluster randomized trial in Irish general practice.

We would like to invite you to take part in the above research study to be carried out at your doctor’s general practice. The MIDAS study is funded through the Health Research Board of Ireland, and based in the Department of General Practice, Trinity College Dublin supported by the departments of General Practice at University College Cork and University of Galway.

You are being invited to take part in this research study because your doctor’s practice is part of the study, and practice records show you are already receiving the usual chronic disease management care.

The research study aims to see how people with multiple medical conditions can best be supported in managing their health. We want to see if providing additional types of support makes a difference over a six month timeframe. We’ll do this by randomly assigning each of the locations taking part to provide one of three types of care:

1.    Usual chronic disease management care in general practice (i.e. your regular structured appointments with the practice nurse and GP)

OR

2.    Usual care plus the support of a pharmacist based in your general practice to collaboratively review and optimise patient medications with your GP

OR

3.    Usual care plus a GP practice based link worker helping patients to access community resources. A link worker is a professional who usually has training in coaching or behavioural change and an extensive knowledge of local community resources. They support people to identify their health and social needs and access community resources to improve health and well-being, a process commonly referred to as social prescribing.

If you decide not to take part in the research study, your care will not change in any way. 

If you decide to take part, you will first be asked to fill out a questionnaire about your general health, your quality of life, your mental health, physical activity, ability to manage your own health and how much burden your healthcare puts on you.

Then, depending on which group your practice is assigned to, you may be invited to meet with a pharmacist, or a link worker. These appointments will take place in your GP surgery.

You will also be asked to fill in the same questionnaires again in six months. 

We believe that there are very minimal risks associated with taking part in this research as you will always have access to your usual GP care. You may find extra appointments to see the pharmacist or link worker (if that is the group being trialled in your location) are inconvenient or unhelpful; if that is the case you will always have the option to withdraw. 

The main benefit of taking part in this research is the contribution it will make to research and to informing future decisions about what care should be offered in GP practices. You may also find taking part improves how you feel about your health or healthcare.

A full information sheet about the study and a consent form are included in this pack. You may wish to take some time to read it and discuss it with friends, family or your GP.

If you are willing to participate, please sign the consent form and return it in the envelope enclosed to your GP team. If you do not wish to participate you don’t need to take any further action and this will not affect your current care from your GP. Of course, you will be able to stop your participation in the study at any time.

If you have any questions, please contact [Lead researcher] by phone [number] / email [address]