Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on Research in Care Homes

During the COVID-19 (corona virus) pandemic the research arena has had to rapidly adapt and change in order to facilitate and deliver research. The UK (United Kingdom) government and Public Health England have stressed the importance of such research to find solutions to treating, preventing and stopping the spread of COVID-19. Due to national and international 'lock down restrictions' delivering research in care home settings has become even more challenging. The adaptations to conducting consultations have relied heavily on the use of technology, for example video calling, telephone, email, and teleconferencing. It is suggested that the use of technology in care home settings is already a barrier to effective research delivery. Nevertheless, as care home residents are a vulnerable group, it is critical to include these groups in research in order to enable improved and evidence-based care and their access to new and emerging treatments. This study aims to assess the opinions and experiences of key stakeholders to identify barriers, and enable better facilitation of research in these settings during and post pandemic.