The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is supporting dementia research teams across the UK to strengthen their recruitment efforts.

The organisation appeared at Neuro Rehab in March to introduce attendees to its Join Dementia Research service and its role in increasing access to pioneering studies.

Join Dementia Research was set up in 2015 and is run by NIHR in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Alzheimer’s Society.

Since then, the service has helped researchers recruit over 110,000 participants to over 770 studies that are contributing to important advancements in diagnosis, treatment and care for those with dementia and their carers. 

Professor Paresh Malhotra, National Specialty Lead for Dementia and Neurodegeneration for the NIHR Research Delivery Network, said: "Join Dementia Research has been a really important initiative. It has helped researchers recruit patients to all types of research, from observational studies to intensive clinical trials.

“It has also provided a way for healthy volunteers who want to contribute, of whom there are many, to ongoing research that will make a difference. I have successfully recruited through Join Dementia Research, and I signpost it to all the patients who come through my clinic."

Join Dementia Research allows researchers to improve their recruitment efforts by giving them access to more than 90,000 volunteers registered to take part in dementia research.

By adding their study to the service, they can find potential participants, with or without dementia, who match their eligibility criteria.

NIHR is also supporting healthcare professionals to highlight clinical research as an option for their patients and encourage them to take part.