Research into lower limb conditions

Research

Research plays an important role in improving the lives of all those affected by a childhood lower limb condition.

As the leading charity working for all those whose lives are affected by childhood lower limb conditions, Steps perform a vital patient advocacy and recruitment role in research projects.

Steps play an active role in Public Patient Involvement (PPI) for a variety of research projects concerning lower limb conditions. This includes;

as joint grant holders or co-applicants on a research project
involvement in identifying research priorities
as members of a project advisory or steering group
commenting and developing patient information leaflets or other research materials
undertaking interviews with research participants

We assist researchers investigating the challenges facing children and adults affected by conditions of the hips, legs and feet and the clinicians treating them in several ways;

Advise on accessibility of research for the wider community, from the onset of the research proposal process.
Help to recruit, support and inform families involved in the research process.
Put forward the points of view of affected families and communicate their perceived challenges to researchers.
Work towards forming research partnerships with hospitals and universities across the UK and ultimately worldwide.