Abdominal Pain in ED
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Abdominal pain in the Emergency Department: a qualitative study exploring the experience and needs of high impact users with abdominal pain
IRAS ID
312771
Contact name
Jo Daniels
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Bristol NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Abdominal pain is the third most common reason for visiting the ED, often it is for recurring abdominal pain. Many things can cause abdominal pain, making it hard to accurately diagnose and treat, and frequently no medical cause is found. There is no clear plan of action for doctors to treat recurring abdominal pain patients; there are no treatments that work and very little in terms of guidelines. This is surprising given how distressed these patients are and how much they cost the NHS.
Attending the ED often reassures the patient there is no emergency, and temporarily treats/relieves their pain. This encourages further re-attendance at the ED. Although we understand this pattern, no research has involved talking to abdominal pain patients to understand the experience of their symptoms or their care in the ED. To develop a treatment which will better meet patient need, first we must speak to the patients.Aims
This study aims to understand the needs and experiences of abdominal pain patients in the ED. We plan to use this information to help develop treatments in the future and improve quality of life for these patients.How we will do this
We will interview between 15-20 patients with abdominal pain patients for around 60 minutes length. The questions will be on 5 main topics: 1) the patient's understanding of their condition, 2) the methods they use to manage their condition 3) the psychological impact of the condition on the patient, 4) what they would want from future interventions, and 5) the patient's experience of past treatment received in the ED. The interviews will be recorded and common themes across the group will be identified. These themes can inform us about the shared experiences that represent the condition and move research forward for this neglected group.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0282
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion