Thank you for your interest in the CANDID study. Your doctor or practice nurse will go carefully through the research and explain what you will be asked to do.
Step 1. Signing the consent form
If you are happy to take part we ask you to sign the consent form. This can be done straight away at the GP surgery. Or, if you prefer, you can take it home and discuss the study with friends and family, or with the study team. Signed consent forms are sent to the study team in the FREEPOST envelope provided. This needs to be done within a week of your visit to the GP. During your appointment your GP will record some information about your symptoms on a secure website. This information will not be available to us, the research team, until we have received your signed consent form.
Step 2. Blood or saliva sample
A blood sample can be taken at your practice immediately after you have spoken to your GP, or you may have to make a separate appointment. The surgery will send it for storage at the University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine Tissue Bank (Human Tissue Authority Licence No: 12009) until it can be analysed. If you do not wish to provide blood you can give a saliva sample.
Step 3. Information about you
At home we will ask you to fill in a questionnaire on a secure website (or you may be able to complete it on a paper copy) about your lifestyle. It should take no longer than 60 minutes; the website will allow you to complete this in several sessions. You will receive a log-in and link to the website with the questionnaire by email.
Step 4. Checking on your progress
A member of your surgery or a member of the research team will look at your medical records and official registers over the next 5 years. Based on this information, a small number of people will be contacted at a later date and asked if they would be prepared to take part in an interview about their symptoms.
The study will not affect any referrals or treatment you get from the GP in any way. So if your GP wishes to refer you to a specialist of any kind, this will happen in the usual way - the study will not affect his or her decision-making at all.
If you have decided that you cannot or do not wish to take part in the research and are willing to let us know more about the reasons why please complete the feedback form.