Aston University Secures Funding to Tackle Language-Based Patient Exclusion in Groundbreaking Kidney Research
A project led by Aston University has been awarded £190,000 funding by the NHS Research Engagement Network (REN) to tackle language-based exclusion in kidney research.
Professor Shivani Sharma, based within the University’s College of Business and Social Sciences, is leading a collaboration between clinicians, academics, patients and the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care System (ICS).
Together they will measure the extent of language-based exclusion in research and work to generate solutions that widen access.
The team will use kidney care as way to look at how often the English language is a criterion for patient participation in research, why this is and what has, or could, work to help broaden engagement to those who cannot take part in this way.
The project will be delivered in two phases over 18 months, concluding with a public event to launch its findings.
Professor Shivani Sharma, deputy dean people, culture and inclusion within Aston University’s College of Business and Social Sciences, said:
“We have had some success in broadening engagement in research. What we want to understand further is the breadth of adaptations that make the most difference.
“For this, we’d like to review research that has taken place in the past five years across at least two to three ICS regions, asking relevant questions about who is invited and supported to take part and whether this reflects the composition of patients accessing kidney care.
“We hope that in partnership with the National Kidney Patient Involvement Network (KPIN) we can summarise this learning and add to it in a way that disrupts exclusion in future.
“We want our project to translate into useable guidance for researchers, funders, and reviewers of proposals to take a more system-based approach for sustainability.”
Dr Enric Villar, consultant nephrologist at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and the joint project lead, said:
“Kidney research is a helpful context in which to consider language-based exclusion as a specific barrier to patients contributing.
“A significant proportion of adults accessing kidney care in the UK identify as minority ethnic. We know that for some communities, language matters to make research culturally meaningful.
“By excluding these voices, we are not optimising the impact of research.”
Professor Paula Ormandy, co-chair of KPIN, said:
“KPIN has been influential in developing effective, efficient, and impactful patient engagement for tangible benefit.
“We have an ambition that all patients know about and feel able to take part in research and in a multitude of ways.
“This could be from generating ideas as equal partners, overseeing research process, or participating themselves.
“I hope that this project will be an important aspect of making this a reality.