HealthWise Wales

HealthWise Wales is a national longitudinal study, funded by the Welsh Government, aiming to recruit 50,000 people over the age of 16 either living in Wales or accessing healthcare in Wales.

Study aim

HealthWise Wales aims to improve the health and well-being of the Welsh population. HealthWise Wales collects data from participants across the life-course so that data collected pre-disease can be used to determine protective and deleterious exposures which affect disease outcomes.

HealthWise Wales aims to recruit 50,000 participants who reflect the population of Wales. Keeping participants actively involved with the study over time is a key challenge.

It is the first time a national population study has been conducted in the UK. This builds on a proud history of health research in Wales and specifically large long-term studies, for example, the Caerphilly Cohort Study. Data will be collected online because online data collection is fast and efficient, but for those who are unable to complete the online questionnaires, a telephone service has been provided to allow people to complete the study over the phone.

Participants complete questionnaires on their lifestyle and health, as well as social and environmental factors. Participants consent for this data to be linked to their routinely collected healthcare data for research purposes and to be re-contacted about new research opportunities. The HealthWise Wales platform facilitates participants to take part in a range of research projects that they are interested in and provides researchers to both advertise research projects to potential participants and to collect and analyse longitudinal data.

Involving the public or patients

Involving and engaging the population of Wales is crucial to the success of HealthWise Wales. Since the project started in 2015, there has been a strong commitment to public involvement. Members of the public are embedded throughout the project, reviewing all public-facing materials and acting as testers for the website to ensure that other members of the public have a high-quality experience when engaging with the study.

Involving the public will strengthen HealthWise Wales by ensuring that we deliver research that is relevant, interesting and beneficial to participants and their families, and to the researchers who use the platform.