A qualitative assessment of the Med Help intervention study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Complex intervention comprising text MEssaging anD HEalthcare professionaL training for imProving statin adherence in primary care: a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial: A qualitative assessment of acceptability of the Med-Help study.
IRAS ID
357283
Contact name
Kamlesh Khunti
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leicester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 9 days
Research summary
Most patients who have heart disease or are at risk for developing heart disease in the future should be receiving drugs, known as statins, to reduce the amount of unhealthy cholesterol (fat) in their blood. A large number of patients are not receiving or taking these drugs in the way that they should be. This means they are at a greater health risk. This has been investigated through the Med Help (MH) study. MH investigated a text-based reminder system, alongside clinician- training to improve statin adherence in GP practices. MH was successfully delivered, and we are awaiting results. However, the study did not asses the enablers and barriers to use. This study aims to use in-depth interviews to explore barriers, enablers and the experiences of patients who have been involved in the MH study. A second series of in-depth interviews will also be undertaken to investigate if this can be rolled-out to a wider group. This includes researchers involved in the MH study, clinicians/practice managers who have delivered the intervention, and commissioners/Primary Care Network leads to provide a wider context of implementing the MH intervention.
REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/HRA/1104
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion