Research User Group Newsletter Keele University RUG Spring / Summer edition | Page 8

   STEER OA 
T
International Collaboration meeting
hree of our RUG members were invited to attend
an international meeting for the STEER
OA trial (Subgrouping and TargetEd Exercise
pRogrammes for OsteoArthritis) in March. 
In collaboration with the OA trial bank (a databank
including data from randomised controlled trials)
STEER OA aims to examine how patient specific,
targeted therapeutic exercise can play a role in the
treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. 
Little previous research has tested whether outcomes
from therapeutic exercise for patients with
osteoarthritis vary.
 The study aims to establish a database including data
from participants in different randomised controlled
trials of therapeutic exercise and identify the
subgroups of patients most likely to benefit, and
treatment targets for future exercise interventions. 
The PPIE group were given an overview of the study
and then asked to think about whether they had any
issues or concerns with the protocol. They ranked
  their factors of interest, pointing out that
   Rhian Hughes
C
Goodbye 
o-director for the
Research Institute for 
Primary Care and Health
Sciences, Rhian Hughes has now retired from her
position, and the centre held a farewell event for
her in November to thank her for her incredible
achievements and contributions.
A celebratory evening was  at Keele Hall, where
staff members old and new presented about
Rhian's involvement with the Centre. Krysia
Dziedzic gave a short presentation about Patient
 and Public Involvement and Engagement in
Research and Implementation. She took the
opportunity to present Rhian with a book, in which
RUG members and staff members had written
goodbye messages and messages of thanks for all
the work Rhian did for PPIE at the Centre. Rhian
was also given a copy of the RUG 10 year
celebration video. On behalf of the RUG and the
PPIE team - thank you Rhian.
pain, physical function, confidence to do the
exercise, mind set and mood/anxiety were
important factors that might influence the
outcomes of exercise programmes. The
results from the patients were then fed back
to the rest of the group in the afternoon.
Mental Health 
   Conference
M
embers of the PPIE team, along with two RUG members, attended a Mental Health Conference held at the
Research Institute in March. The RUG members have been involved with a number of the Mental Health
Studies and attended the conference on behalf of the rest of the RUG.
The conference saw researchers and clinicians
from around the UK gathering to discuss current
issues and ethics and mental health. There were
presentations around ethics, ethics trials, and
ethics in mental health research.
IPCHS NEWS
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