ArticleResearch methods in medicine & health sciences2022
The PROMoting the USE of SWATs (PROMETHEUS) programme: Lessons learnt and future developments for SWATs.
Article in Research methods in medicine & health sciences, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Trial Forge Guidance 5: ethical considerations in randomised Studies Within A Trial (SWATs).Trials · 2025Guideline
- Recruitment and retention interventions in surgical and wound care trials: A systematic review.PloS one · 2023Pooled it
- Effects of a non-standard information leaflet on patient recruitment in acute care: Embedded cluster-randomised controlled trial.PloS one · 2025Trial
- The overlap between randomised evaluations of recruitment and retention interventions: An updated review of recruitment (Online Resource for Recruitment in Clinical triAls) and retention (Online Resource for Retention in Clinical triAls) literature.Clinical trials (London, England) · 2024Review
- Trial Forge Guidance 4: a guideline for reporting the results of randomised Studies Within A Trial (SWATs).Trials · 2024Article
- Undertaking Studies Within A Trial to evaluate recruitment and retention strategies for randomised controlled trials: lessons learnt from the PROMETHEUS research programme.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2024Article
- PROMoting the use of studies within a trial (PROMETHEUS): Results and experiences from a large programme to evaluate the routine embedding of recruitment and retention strategies within randomised controlled trials routinely.Research methods in medicine & health sciences · 2023Article
- Challenges and solutions to the implementation of studies within a trial: The experiences of the PROMETHEUS programme.Research methods in medicine & health sciences · 2023Article
- Protocol Development for a Qualitative Methodological Study Within a Trial (Qual-SWAT): The KARMA-Dep-2 Trial.HRB open research · 2023Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: The PROMETHEUS programme (PROMoting THE USE of SWATs) was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) infrastructure funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The purpose was to develop strategies to increase the recruitment and retention evidence base. This paper aims to present observations from this work. Observations: The PROMETHUS programme funded 42 SWATs, the average cost of each SWAT was £4007. A central coordination point enabled a concentrated effort in SWAT research activity leading to a rapid increase in the evidence base. The methodological feasibility of undertaking a coordinated SWAT design was established. The international Trial Forge SWAT Network was developed in 2021 to connect research groups in response for the need to connect teams undertaking methodological research. A SWAT reporting template and a database of researchers willing to peer review SWATs are also needed to improve the reporting of SWATs. Discussion: There is a need to develop a strategy to aid teams to identify a suitable SWAT for their host trial populations and a mechanism to communicate SWAT research priorities. Work is needed to increase the awareness of the methodological importance of SWAT research with research teams and develop engagement strategies to increase SWAT activity. Continued collaboration with the HRA is necessary to refine the SWAT approvals process. Conclusion: The coordination PROMETHEUS provided is crucial to increasing the recruitment retention evidence base. The Trial Forge Network will be key to provide ongoing networking and dissemination opportunities.
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