Assess the feasibility of a study

Ensuring your study can be delivered is a critical, but often overlooked, aspect of developing a sound protocol. Working with your host organisation (in the NHS, this would be via the NHS R&D office) is central to understanding the capability and capacity of health and social care organisations available to carry out the study.

This helps identify whether the study matches with current standard care or treatment, whether there are sufficient populations and/or acceptability of the study design within services. It will also help to align the protocol development with NHS and social care priorities.

You may also want to talk to different communities or focus groups to assess the viability of the study, and ask a patient or public representative for their perspective on the project.

The Health and Care Research Wales research community can offer expert advice.