The EPIC-Norfolk Study- I am an EPIC-Norfolk participant, but I have not heard from the study for a number of years. Why was I not invited to a particular health check?
- How does EPIC-Norfolk follow-up on participants?
- Are you currently inviting participants to take part in an additional health check?
- I made the decision to ‘opt-out’ of providing data to third parties via my GP practice. Will this affect the information received by EPIC?
- I am an EPIC-Norfolk participant but I have moved out of the Norfolk area. Can I still participate in future research?
- I have either been unable to attend the latest health check, or I have turned down the opportunity to attend. Am I still a participant on the EPIC-Norfolk study?
- I now have an illness or health concerns, can I still continue to take part in EPIC-Norfolk?
- Am I too old to participate?
- I withdrew from EPIC-Norfolk at some point in the past but I am now interested in participating again, can I?
- I no longer wish to receive information regarding future EPIC-Norfolk research activities and questionnaires. How do I stop communications being sent to me from EPIC-Norfolk?
- What results have EPIC-Norfolk come up with over the years?
- How will my previously collected data be handled after the changes in the management of EPIC-Norfolk from January 2019?
I am an EPIC-Norfolk participant, but I have not heard from the study for a number of years. Why was I not invited to a particular health check?
EPIC-Norfolk researchers approach participants by GP practice. The length of the health checks varies depending on the tests included in each phase and the ability of individuals completing the tasks asked of them. The EPIC-Norfolk team aim to invite the maximum number of participants to each health check, within the funded timeframe, but unfortunately this means that they are unable to invite every participant to each and every health check. When planning each health check, priority is given to invite those participants who may have been missed during the previous health check.
How does EPIC-Norfolk follow-up on participants?
The great value of the EPIC-Norfolk study is in understanding what happens to the health of participants over many years as they age, and to get as complete a picture as possible of health in the community. Aside from previous health checks and questionnaires, researchers continue to monitor the health of EPIC-Norfolk participants through ongoing record linkage to general and hospital medical records and disease registries, to get a picture of patterns of health and disease over the years. Therefore, even if a participant has not attended a health check or completed a questionnaire, their earlier contributions continue to be of benefit.
Are you currently inviting participants to take part in an additional health check?
A large volume of data has been collected throughout the EPIC-Norfolk study. As health checks continued there were diminishing numbers of participants returning for follow up. At present there are no plans to run a 6th health check but to use the data and samples already collected, alongside data collected from health records. This is not to rule out future participant involvement but will be dependent on funding.
I made the decision to ‘opt-out’ of providing data to third parties via my GP practice. Will this affect the information received by EPIC-Norfolk?
Participants have the right to request that their data is not used beyond their own care and treatment. If a participant has indicated to their GP that they do not want their data to be used by third parties, but do not wish this decision to affect the updates EPIC-Norfolk receives regarding their health information, then please contact the study team. This will ensure that participants can continue to contribute to the study, even if they no longer attend the health checks.
I am an EPIC-Norfolk participant but I have moved out of the Norfolk area. Can I still participate in future research?
Participants can still take part in future EPIC-Norfolk research activities from a new address. Please contact the EPIC-Norfolk study team via email or by the freephone number +44 (0)800 616 911, if you have moved or are planning to move location in the future.
I have either been unable to attend the latest health check, or I have turned down the opportunity to attend. Am I still a participant on the EPIC-Norfolk study?
Even if a participant has been unable to attend a previous health check, they are still classed as an active member of the EPIC-Norfolk study and would be approached in the future. Should you no longer wish to be involved in future EPIC-Norfolk research activities, please email the study team or call the freephone number +44 (0)800 616911.
I now have an illness or health concerns, can I still continue to take part in EPIC-Norfolk?
Yes. Any information with regards to a participants health is extremely important to the study. Even if a participant has been unable to attend a health check or fill in a questionnaire, the information the research team is provided with from hospital records and disease registries is still very important.
Am I too old to participate?
There is no upper age limit to participate in any part of the EPIC study. The research team wish to follow-up participants for as long as possible and it is an important part of research that they are able to collect information as people age.
I withdrew from EPIC-Norfolk at some point in the past but I am now interested in participating again, can I?
Yes indeed. Participants can email the study team or call the freephone number +44 (0)800 616911 to re-enroll. This will make participants eligible for any future EPIC related activities moving forward.
I no longer wish to receive information regarding future EPIC-Norfolk research activities and questionnaires. How do I stop communications being sent to me from EPIC-Norfolk?
To be taken off the EPIC-Norfolk mailing list, please email the study team or call the study freephone number +44 (0)800 616911. Participation in EPIC-Norfolk is completely voluntary and participants can stop involvement in research activities at any point in time. Once a participants name is removed from the mailing list they will not be contacted. Deciding not to take part in EPIC-Norfolk does not affect the treatment a participant receives as part of their routine care provided by their GP.
What results have EPIC-Norfolk come up with over the years?
Many papers have been published over the years.
To view a full list of EPIC-Norfolk publications
To view study findings and general information on results
How will my previously collected data be handled after the changes in the management of EPIC-Norfolk from January 2019?
Following the retirement of Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, Principal Investigator(PI) of the EPIC-Norfolk study in January 2019. The management and running of the EPIC-Norfolk study transferred to the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge under Professor Nick Wareham.
Professor Nick Wareham is a PI of the EPIC-Norfolk study and director of the MRC Epidemiology unit. The MRC Epidemiology unit is a department within the University of Cambridge and as such, none of the data that participants have provided will leave the University of Cambridge. The governance and security of participants data will remain the same as it has always been.
The MRC Epidemiology unit continues to use any previously collected data to conduct research analysis on the impact of diet, lifestyle and genetic factors on the onset of disease.