The UK’s National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN) is looking for feedback from companies on the strengths and weaknesses of its offering to the life sciences industry.

The Network has introduced feedback questionnaires that can be completed by industry representatives involved in clinical research once a study has been set up and again when it closes to recruitment.

Representatives are sent an online link to the survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, after their first site opens and the last site closes.

“We find Network performance and particularly Network communication vary throughout England and we’re seeing this as a good opportunity to help improve continuity,” commented Nadia Thornton, a clinical research associate at Harrison Clinical Research Limited.

Constant analysis

According to NIHR CRN, feedback from the surveys will enable industry to support the development of the CRN industry offering and provide the Network with a “constant and current analysis” of its work.

“We want as much feedback as possible from life-sciences industry representatives on the ground,” said Dr Sarah Crawshaw, the Clinical Research Network’s head of industry operations. “We work in a dynamic environment and we need tools to help us carry out continuous improvement.”

Commercial-study growth

Commercial studies adopted into the NIHR CRN Portfolio accounted for 88% of all commercial Phase II-IV studies in the UK receiving Clinical Trial Authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency during the fourth quarter of the NIHR’s 2011/12 financial year (running from 1 April to 31 March).

This represented a 59% increase on the third quarter of 2011/12, the Network noted.