Cloudy with a Chance of Pain: Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cloudy with a Chance of Pain
IRAS ID
211415
Contact name
William Dixon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
FMHS Research Office
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
15522, UREC ethics ref.
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 23 days
Research summary
Cloudy with a Chance of Pain is a large population study and citizen science experiment to investigate the association between weather and pain-related symptoms in people with arthritis and other chronic pain.\n\nFor centuries people have speculated about whether there is a relationship between the weather and pain, and if so, what the nature of this relationship is. However, researchers have been unable to reach any firm conclusions due to studies having small sample sizes and poor quality data. Using participants’ own smartphones, Cloudy with a Chance of Pain collects self-reported daily symptoms and whilst pull weather data from the closest weather station using the phone’s GPS. \n \nThe study is being conducted in collaboration with two partner organisations: uMotif, one of the UK’s leading digital health companies, with software for health self management; and The Office for Creative Research, a multidisciplinary research group dedicated to new modes of engagement with data through unique practices that borrow from both the arts and sciences. \n\nThe project has already secured University Research Ethics Committee approval and the approval of grant funders Arthritis Research UK. The application for funding was reviewed by six peer reviewers external to the study. The project was officially launched on January 20 2016 and has to date successfully recruited over 8700 participants. The next stage for the study is to gain NHS Ethics approval, allowing for participant recruitment to extend into an NHS setting.\n
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0716
Date of REC Opinion
4 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion