Despite the UK having an ageing population, older people are often excluded from research and remain an underserved population group, as noted by the NIHR INCLUDE guidance. The need for a greater research effort for older people was also highlighted in the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2023: Health in an Ageing Society.
The work in the Ageing, Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity theme (ASM) of the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre is designed to address this research gap. The team recently completed the MET-PREVENT trial to determine whether the drug metformin, commonly used to treat diabetes, could improve physical function in older people living with sarcopenia (muscle weakness) and frailty.
To share the findings from MET-PREVENT, they wanted to design an engaging public event that was accessible and of interest to a group of older adults, many of whom live with frailty and multiple long-term health conditions.
At the planning stage, the team worked with a range of stakeholders, including a public member of the MET-PREVENT steering group, three study participants, a Research Nurse, and the Principal and Chief Investigators - meeting in person, via Teams or over the telephone.
These discussions informed the nature and design of the public event – from overall concept to practical details. For example, study participants emphasised the importance of being thanked for taking part in the study, but also indicated that a suggested ‘icebreaker’ or an interactive exercise session would be less well-received. A main talk about the study with a question-and-answer session that gave attendees the chance to share their views, followed by small-group discussions over tea and cake, was agreed on, with the title: ‘MET-PREVENT- A Thank You Tea Party’.
Other practical issues discussed included enabling each participant to bring along a guest, the option of transport to/from home, and the best time of day for the event. We planned to run the tea party twice at different community centres, that were accessible and relatively close to participants’ homes. We agreed that the main talks would be filmed for anyone who couldn’t attend and notes were taken so that ideas and discussions could be captured and shared.
To evaluate the success of the tea parties we developed a feedback form with the stakeholders for attendees to complete on the day as well as providing an option to capture feedback on post-it notes or via short sound bites.
Over 80 guests attended the two tea parties who included a diverse mix of study participants and their guests, and members of the wider multi-disciplinary study team. The feedback we received, both written and verbal, was very positive.
The small-group discussions enabled participants to provide further feedback on the MET-PREVENT study. Participants were asked ‘what you did and didn’t enjoy’ and ‘how the study could be improved’. This feedback, such as the highlighted value of home visits, will directly inform ASM plans for future research.
The MET PREVENT study, set out to determine whether the drug metformin, commonly used to treat diabetes, can improve physical function in older people living with sarcopenia and frailty.
Sarcopenia – the age-related loss of muscle strength and size – affects 1 in 10 people aged 65 and over in the UK and is associated with an increased risk of poor health outcomes, including falls and fractures, frailty, higher rates of hospital admission, prolonged hospital stays, a greater need for social care, and in some cases, premature death. No drug treatments are currently licensed for sarcopenia, and few clinical trials have been done for this condition.
Find out more about the MET PREVENT study