Alopecia Areata Rapid Access Clinic
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Alopecia Areata (AA) Rapid Access Clinic (AA-RAC): Can early access improve outcomes in patients with recent-onset AA?
IRAS ID
345271
Contact name
Matthew Harries
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Alopecia areata (AA) is a common problem that causes sudden-onset patchy hair loss. When this happens, it can be very frightening and upsetting experience. Luckily, in most cases the hair grows back on its own. However, in some people the problem gets worse, and all their hair may eventually fall out. Currently we do not know if treatment soon after the hair loss starts can stop progression to more extensive hair loss, nor have a good way to tell which people will get better or worse.
The Alopecia Areata Rapid Access Clinic (AA-RAC) is an NHS pilot clinic being set-up to reduce the time taken for someone with recent onset AA to receive specialist dermatology care. The clinic will run for 18 months at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust.
The AA-RAC is open to any adult with recently diagnosed alopecia areata (within 12 months of onset) and not previously under the care of a skin specialist. This clinic will test the feasibility of studying recent-onset AA though clinical description and tissue sample donation to inform future strategies to improve clinical outcomes in this group.
Participants will be referred by their GP and receive standard NHS care. We will collect routine clinical data, observations, and routine blood tests. In addition, we will invite participants to complete a questionnaire exploring lifestyle factors and disease impact. Participants will be asked to donate research tissue samples (blood, plucked hairs and/or scalp biopsies) and encourage engagement in additional support, delivered by our health psychologist, to adopt healthy lifestyle practices.
We will get feedback from those who attended the clinic to find out about their experience. The research is funded by Alopecia UK. Tissue sample and pseudo-anonymised clinical data will be analysed as part of a PhD Thesis at the University of Manchester.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SW/0147
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion