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Improving health by improving research

Resources

This page provides access to useful resources relating to the BOOST project. Please check back frequently as we develop implementable tools for you to apply a behavioural approach to the design and conduct of your trials.

Publications

General

Gillies K, Brehaut J, Coffey T, Duncan E, Francis J, Hey SP, Presseau J, Weijer C, Campbell MK. How can behavioural science help us design better trials?. Trials 22, 882 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05853-x

Coffey T, Young N, Gillies K. A scoping review of how behavioural theories, models and frameworks have been applied to the design, conduct, analysis or reporting of clinical trials. Trials. 2025 Mar 25;26(1):104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-025-08808-8 PMID: 40134006; PMCID: PMC11934719.

Coffey T, Williamson PR, Gillies K; Trials Methodology Research Partnership Working Groups. Understanding implementation of findings from trial method research: a mixed methods study applying implementation frameworks and behaviour change models. Trials. 2024 Feb 22;25(1):139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-07968-3 PMID: 38389093; PMCID: PMC10885447.

Lawrie L, Duncan EM, Lendrum R, Lebrec V, Gillies K. Challenges and opportunities for conducting pre-hospital trauma trials: a behavioural investigation. Trials. 2023 Mar 2;24(1):157. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07184-5 PMID: 36864520; PMCID: PMC9983243.

Recruitment

Innes K, Ahmed I, Hudson J, Hernández R, Gillies K, Bruce R, Bell V, Avenell A, Blazeby J, Brazzelli M, Cotton S, Croal B, Forrest M, MacLennan G, Murchie P, Wileman S, Ramsay C. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus conservative management for adults with uncomplicated symptomatic gallstones: the C-GALL RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2024 Jun;28(26):1-151. https://doi.org/10.3310/MNBY3104 PMID: 38943314; PMCID: PMC11228691.

Lawrie L, Duncan EM, Jansen JO, Campbell MK, Brunsdon D, Skea Z, Coffey T, Cochran C, Gillies K. Behavioural optimisation to address trial conduct challenges: case study in the UK-REBOA trial. Trials. 2022 May 12;23(1):398. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06341-6 PMID: 35550599; PMCID: PMC9097042. *This study also covers intervention implementation

Changing clinical staff behaviour at recruitment to consider retention – Taylor Coffey PhD

Coffey T, Duncan EM, Morgan H, Lawrie L, Gillies K. Behavioural approaches to recruitment and retention in clinical trials: a systematic mapping review. BMJ Open. 2022 Mar 9;12(3):e054854. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054854 PMID: 35264354; PMCID: PMC8915327.

Coffey T, Duncan E, Morgan H, Gillies K. What influences communication about retention in randomised trials: a multi-trial, theory-based analysis exploring trial staff perspectives. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2022 Aug 25;22(1):231. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-022-01708-4 PMID: 36002801; PMCID: PMC9404662.

Coffey T, Duncan E, Morgan H, Gillies K. Developing strategies to address disparities in retention communication during the consent discussion: development of a behavioural intervention. Trials. 2023 Apr 26;24(1):296. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07268-2 PMID: 37101245; PMCID: PMC10134580.

Changing recruitment behaviour of maternity healthcare professionals – Vivienne Hanrahan PhD

Hanrahan V, Biesty L, Lawrie L, Duncan E, Gillies K. Theory-guided interviews identified behavioral barriers and enablers to healthcare professionals recruiting participants to maternity trials. J Clin Epidemiol. 2022 May;145:81-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2022.01.015 Epub 2022 Jan 23. PMID: 35081447.

Hanrahan V, Lawrie L, Duncan E, Biesty L, Gillies K. Development of a co-designed behaviour change intervention aimed at healthcare professionals recruiting to clinical trials in maternity care. Trials. 2022 Oct 12;23(1):870. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06816-6 PMID: 36224619; PMCID: PMC9556136.

Retention

Duncan EM, Bennett T, Gillies K. Assessing effective interventions to improve trial retention: do they contain behaviour change techniques? Trials. 2020 Feb 21;21(1):213. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-4151-4 PMID: 32085717; PMCID: PMC7035706.

Lawrie L, Duncan EM, Dunsmore J, Newlands R, Gillies K. Using a behavioural approach to explore the factors that affect questionnaire return within a clinical trial: a qualitative study based on the theoretical domains framework. BMJ Open. 2021 Apr 8;11(4).

Gillies K, Bower P, Elliott J, MacLennan G, Newlands RSN, Ogden M, Treweek SP, Wells M, Witham MD, Young B, Francis JJ. Systematic Techniques to Enhance rEtention in Randomised controlled trials: the STEER study protocol. Trials. 2018 Mar 27;19(1):197. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2572-0 PMID: 29580260; PMCID: PMC5869766.

Newlands R, Duncan E, Presseau J, Treweek S, Lawrie L, Bower P, Elliott J, Francis J, MacLennan G, Ogden M, Wells M, Witham MD, Young B, Gillies K. Why trials lose participants: A multitrial investigation of participants' perspectives using the theoretical domains framework. J Clin Epidemiol. 2021 Sep;137:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2021.03.007 Epub 2021 Mar 13. PMID: 33727134.

Newlands R, Duncan E, Treweek S, Elliott J, Presseau J, Bower P, MacLennan G, Ogden M, Wells M, Witham MD, Young B, Gillies K. The development of theory-informed participant-centred interventions to maximise participant retention in randomised controlled trials. Trials. 2022 Apr 8;23(1):268. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06218-8 PMID: 35395930; PMCID: PMC8994320.

Implementation of interventions within trials

Lawrie L, Gillies K, Duncan E, Davies L, Beard D, Campbell MK. Barriers and enablers to the effective implementation of robotic assisted surgery. PLoS One. 2022 Aug 29;17(8):e0273696. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273696 PMID: 36037179; PMCID: PMC9423619.

Lawrie L, Duncan EM, Jansen JO, Campbell MK, Brunsdon D, Skea Z, Coffey T, Cochran C, Gillies K. Behavioural optimisation to address trial conduct challenges: case study in the UK-REBOA trial. Trials. 2022 May 12;23(1):398. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06341-6 PMID: 35550599; PMCID: PMC9097042. *This study also covers recruitment

Stewart C, Wu H, Alagappan U, Azuara-Blanco A, King AJ, Tatham AJ, Hernández R, Lowe B, Shotton D, Appiah N, Coffey T, Vadiveloo T, MacLennan G, Gillies K. Feasibility of in-home monitoring for people with glaucoma: the I-TRAC mixed-methods study. Health Technol Assess. 2024 Aug;28(44):1-163. https://doi.org/10.3310/GTWD6802 PMID: 39248430; PMCID: PMC11404360.

Greener trials

Changing behaviour to enable the design and delivery of greener trials | Projects A-Z | Aberdeen Centre for Evaluation | The University of Aberdeen

Patient Public Involvement (PPI)

Goulao B, Poisson C, Gillies K. Patient and public involvement in numerical aspects of trials: a mixed methods theory-informed survey of trialists' current practices, barriers and facilitators. BMJ Open. 2021 Mar 18;11(3):e046977. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046977 PMID: 33737444; PMCID: PMC7978289.

Collaborator led papers

Worthington A, Coffey T, Gillies K, Roy R, Braakhuis A. Exploring how researchers consider nutrition trial design and participant adherence: a theory-based analysis. Front Nutr. 2024 Dec 17;11:1457708. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1457708 PMID: 39742103; PMCID: PMC11685074.

Al P, Hey S, Weijer C, Gillies K, McCleary N, Yee ML, Inglis J, Presseau J, Brehaut J. Changing patient preferences toward better trial recruitment: an ethical analysis. Trials. 2023 Mar 28;24(1):233. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07258-4 Changing patient preferences toward better trial recruitment: an ethical analysis | Trials | Full Text

Tools

Watch this space!