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Biography
Born in Ghana, Bernard moved to the UK in 2023. He holds a degree in Public Health and has passion for positive change. He worked as the Hub Manager for the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery Ghana Hub where he built collaborative research networks within Ghana's healthcare system from 2019 to 2023.
In his previous role, Bernard coordinated the FALCON and CHEETAH trials, focused on cost-effective interventions to reduce surgical site infections. Beyond trials, he led the development of Community Engagement and Involvement (CEI) strategies, emphasizing community participation in research and was a key collaborator for the COVID-Surg initiative.
He joined the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit in January 2024, reflecting his commitment to clinical research and expanding global health engagement, with a focus on collaboration and fostering community ownership of research initiatives.
Currently works on the IDEAL study: A study to Improve the diagnosis and early referral of patients with axiaL spondyloarthiritis. It is a pathway study that aims at identifying patients with inflammatory back pain faster to enable early diagnosis and timely access to treatment.
Research Summary
Study Title: Improving the Diagnosis and Early referral of patients with AxiaL spondyloarthiritis- BACK Pain referral pAthway from Community to Specialist care (IDEAL-BACKPACS)
Aim: To enhance axSpA diagnosis and referral pathways, potentially reducing diagnostic delays and improving patient outcomes.
Design: IDEAL-BACKPACS is a prospective diagnostic study aiming to validate the existing Baraliakos referral strategy in a primary care cohort.
Participant Population: Participants aged 16-50 with chronic back pain (CBP) for at least 3 months, onset before age 45, will be recruited from the community.
Key Eligibility Criteria:
- Inclusion Criteria: Age 16-50, onset of chronic back pain before 45, current chronic back pain for at least 3 consecutive months, ability to provide informed consent, willingness to undergo study assessments.
- Exclusion Criteria: Back pain < 3 months, existing diagnosis of axSpA, unsuitability determined by GP, contraindications to MRI.
Planned Sample Size: With an assumed axSpA prevalence of 14% and specified sensitivity and specificity of the Baraliakos referral strategy, 900 participants will provide over 90% power to detect performance thresholds, allowing for 20% incomplete data. Recruitment will stop after 720 fully assessable participants complete follow-up.
Planned Study Period: January 2024 to January 2027
Primary Objective: To externally validate the predictive performance of the Baraliakos strategy, including sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, calibration, and discrimination.
Secondary Objectives:
- Model an alternative UK-specific axSpA referral strategy using existing predictors and additional candidate predictors.
- Determine the most clinically effective referral strategy by comparative analysis.
- Evaluate NASS patient screening questionnaires' potential to reduce diagnosis delays.
- Estimate axSpA prevalence in UK primary care CBP population.
Health Economics Objective: To assess resource use and conduct economic analysis.