Shireen Patel awarded PhD

Shireen’s PhD explored the barriers and facilitators to recruitment and retention to digital health intervention trials and offered recommendations for further research. Based at the University of Nottingham, she conducted her PhD part-time as part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing research theme. 

The thesis provides guidance to researchers on how to improve the challenging process of recruitment and retention in randomised trials which persists as a challenge to trialists. The findings highlight the key role the trial research team plays in actively and continually negotiating the ongoing activity of recruitment and retention, and the mediating role researchers can have in influencing expectations about a trial.

Furthermore, Shireen's research revealed that many of the factors that impact on recruitment and retention into Digital Health Intervention trials (DHI) can be applied to both face-to-face and DHI trials. Her findings have broader implications for future research exploring these issues in digital health and beyond.

Speaking about her achievements, Shireen said: “I can’t believe that after almost 10 years I have completed my PhD, it has been quite a journey. Getting married, turning forty, moving house three times, family deaths, new arrivals, Covid-19 pandemic, successfully managing two RCTs to completion – plenty of tears of both sadness and happiness!

“I am extremely grateful for the guidance, support, and expertise from my supervisors Professor Richard Morriss, Dr Emma Rowley and Dr Nicola Wright and to NIHR ARC EM for providing me the opportunity to pursue a PhD alongside working a full time as a researcher. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their ongoing support and encouragement. I was the first female to go to university in my extended family from both my mother’s and father’s side. 

“Both my thesis findings and completing this thesis has shown me that often people are willing to do things purely to help others and out of the kindness of their hearts. This has strengthened my faith in humanity.” 

Currently, Shireen works as a Research Fellow for ARC East Midlands, focusing on several projects aimed at improving the psychological wellbeing of individuals, with a particular interest in enhancing accessibility of mental health services for marginalised groups.  

You can learn more about Shireen's research and findings through the following resources:

• https://www.jmir.org/2020/7/e16228/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30670044/
• https://arc-em.nihr.ac.uk/arc-store-resources/cognitive-behavioural-therapy-health-anxiety

Well done Shireen on your achievements, we are so proud to have been able to support you on this journey!