Brain Health Study – Study Partner help page

With permission, we would like our participants to choose a Study Partner to answer some questions about the participants daily living and health and come to the research centre visit with them. Study Partners can be a family member or a friend who is over 18 and knows the UK Biobank participant well.

No, you can choose if you want to be in this study as a Study Partner or not.

If you have been asked to take part as a Study Partner, your decision will not affect the ability of your relative/friend to take part, nor their ongoing relationship with UK Biobank.

With the permission of your relative/friend, we would ask you to complete a questionnaire about their daily living and health. If you accompany your relative/friend to the research centre, you can complete it there or if you don’t go to the research centre, you can choose to complete it online at home. 

In rare cases, we may ask Study Partners to act as a personal consultee for relatives/friends. This would mean helping express the wishes of relatives/friends to the centre staff about their participation.

You can register to take part by going to our Study Partner website. You will need to use the QR code or enter your unique 12-digit Study Partner registration key that is provided when your friend/relative attends their research centre appointment. You will then be asked to provide some basic personal details and complete a consent form before completing the questionnaire.

When your friend/relative visits the research centre for their appointment, they will receive a Study Partner information pack to give to a close relative/friend should they wish to. This pack contains a sheet with a 12-digit Study Partner registration key that is unique to each Study Partner.

This 12-digit number is a one time use number that is used the first time you access the platform.

If you don’t have this information any more, your relative/friend will receive a reminder email which will contain the 12-digit code. You can also give us a call and we can provide a new code for you to access the platform.

The 8-digit number is a unique Study Partner ID code that is assigned to you after you have registered.

If you need to log back into the platform after you have created your account, you will need to use your 8-digit Study Partner ID and your password.

Yes, we can provide you with a letter from UK Biobank to give to your employer. It asks your employer if they would allow a leave of absence, without loss of pay or holiday entitlement, so you can accompany your relative/friend to their Brain Health Study appointment. Your employer should consider if they are willing to approve this request for you.

If you go to the research centre with your friend/relative, we can arrange complimentary door-to-door transport for you if that would be helpful. Otherwise, we can reimburse your travel expenses.

The risks of taking part are minimal. If you go to the research centre with your friend/relative and need to go into the MRI scanning room to support your friend/relative, we will ask you some safety questions.

If you would like dementia advice or support, please contact the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456.