Dr Clare Relton FSHom, BA(Hons), MSc, PhD
The University of Sheffield
ScHARR
University of Sheffield
Regent Court
30 Regent Street
Sheffield
S1 4DA
email: c [dot] relton [at] sheffield [dot] ac [dot] uk
Biography
I joined ScHARR in 2003 when I was awarded a DH Pre Doctoral Training Fellowship. I then obtained an MSc in Health Services Research and PhD in pragmatic clinical trial design. I have been in the Public Health section of ScHARR since 2009.
I originally studied Philosophy at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and then worked in management training/personal development. After having my sons, I worked as a homeopath in the NHS and privately for a number of years.
Research Interests
I am primarily interested in pragmatic randomised controlled trial design and the processes by which patients are (or are not) recruited to trials (i.e. 'Informed Consent'). As well as my methodological interests, I also have a long standing interest in both homeopathic medicine and a wide range of chronic health conditions: chronic pain, insomnia, depression, obesity, and 'disorders' and 'syndromes' such as IBS, ADHD etc.
Teaching Interests
I teach on the Master of Public Health Master of Clinical Research and undergraduate medical MB ChB degrees.
Current Projects
Principle Investigator: NOSH (NOurishing Start for Health): An MRC funded study exploring the potential of offering financial incentives to improve breastfeeding rates in low uptake neighbourhoods. Funded by the MRC.
Project Manager of the South Yorkshire Cohort study, (SYC), an NIHR CLAHRC funded study aiming to facilitate research into long term health conditions including obesity.
Key Publications
Harris P, Cooper K, Relton C, Thomas KJ.
Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by the general population: a systematic review and update (2012)
Accepted for publication by the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
Relton C, Holdsworth M, Strong M.
Obesity Unwrapped
(2012) Accepted for publicaton by the BMJ.
Relton C, Holdsworth M, Strong M.
The 'Pounds for Pounds' weight loss financial incentive scheme: an evaluation of a pilot in NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent.
Journal of Public Health. 20aa;22(4):536-542.doi:10.12093/pubmed/fdr0301
Relton C, O'Cathain, Nicholl J.
A pilot 'cohort multiple randomised controlled trial' of treatment by a homeopath for women with menopausal hot flushes'.
Contemporary Clinical Trials (2012)
Relton et al.
South Yorkshire Cohort: a 'cohort trials facility' study of health and weight - Protocol for the recruitment phase. BMC Public Health 2011 11:640
Relton C, Strong M, Li J.
The "Pounds for Pounds" weight loss financial incentive scheme: an evaluation of a pilot in NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent.
Journal of Public Health. 2011;33(4):536-542.doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdr0301
Relton C, Torgerson D, O'Cathain A, Nicholl J.
'Rethinking pragmatic RCTs: introducing the 'cohort multiple RCT' design.
BMJ 2010; 340: c1066.
Cooper K, Relton C.
Homeopathy for insomnia: Summary of additional RCT published since systematic review.
Sleep Medicine Reviews 14 (2010) 411
Cooper K, Relton C.
'Homeopathy for insomnia: a systematic review of research evidence'.
Sleep Medicine Reviews (2010) doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2009.11.005.
Relton C, Smith C, Raw J, Walters C, Adebajo A, Thomas K J, Young T A.
Healthcare provided by a homeopath as an adjunct to usual care for Fibromyalgia (FMS): results of a pilot Randomised Controlled Trial.
Homeopathy 2009, 77-82.
Relton C, O'Cathain A, Thomas K J.
Untangling the debate.
Homeopathy 2007, 92, 152-155.