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 studied Philosophy as an undergraduate at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. I then moved to work in field of management training/personal development. After having my sons, I worked as a homeopath in the NHS and privately. In 2003 I was awarded a Department of Health Pre Doctoral Training Fellowship at ScHARR which ended in 2008. During this time I completed my MSc in Health Services Research and my PhD in pragmatic clinical trial design.
Since 2009 I have been in the Public Health section of ScHARR working on the Obesity Theme for the NIHR funded CLARHC (Collaborations for Leadership and Applied Research in Health Care) for South Yorkshire.
Research Interests
My general interest is methodological, in particular the methods required to provide information for routine healthcare decision making. For example, how to optimise the information derived from clinical randomised controlled trials for use in publicly funded healthcare systems such as the NHS.
I have a particular interest in the processes by which patients are (or are not) recruited to trials (often described as "Informed Consent") and a related interest in the potential of 'opt out' approaches for research.
I have a long standing interest in homeopathic medicine as well as other therapeutic systems commonly used in different parts of the world. I am interested in a very broad range of chronic health conditions including: chronic pain, insomnia, depression, obesity, menopausal symptoms and 'syndromes' such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Teaching Interests
I teach on the Master of Public Health and undergraduate medical MB ChB degrees.
Current Projects
I am Project Manager of the South Yorkshire Cohort study, an NIHR CLAHRC funded study aiming to facilitate research into chronic health and weight. This study is currently seeking ideas and collaborators for pragmatic randomised controlled trials of interventions in the following chronic conditions: obesity, fatigue, pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, diabetes, breathing problems (chronic bronchitis/emphysema), high blood pressure, heart disease and osteoarthritis.
I am also collaborating with clinicians at Barnsley NHS Foundation Trust Hospital, NHS Barnsley PCT and academics at the University of Leeds on the Barnsley Irritable Bowel Syndrome Cohort Study.
Key Publications
Relton C, Holdsworth M, Strong M.
Obesity Unwrapped
(2011) Submitted to the BMJ
Relton C, O'Cathain, Nicholl J.
A pilot 'cohort multiple randomised controlled trial' of treatment by a homeopath for women with menopausal hot flushes'.
(2011) Submitted to Contemporary Clinical Trials
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. Accepted 2011
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: 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.