Carers’ voices
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using Digital Storytelling to Explore the Issues of Caring for Children with Asthma and/or Allergies: An Ethnographically Informed Thematic Analysis.
IRAS ID
339223
Contact name
Sonia Sobowiec
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 27 days
Research summary
This study will use online digital storytelling to capture the experiences of parents and carers (from now called simply ‘carers’) with children affected by asthma and allergies. Carers are best placed to offer a personal viewpoint on these highly variable, potentially serious, and often interrelated childhood conditions and the impact they have on their lives. The digital stories produced will offer opportunities for medical staff to hear about the children’s management needed, some of which they may be unaware of. Carers of children attending the asthma and allergy, respiratory, and dermatology clinics or the wards at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital (University Hospital Sussex) will be invited to participate. The service impact aims are to better support carers, through an improved understanding of their experiences of managing children’s asthma and allergies.
Participants will learn how to create their own digital story. To facilitate this, participants will take part in a series of up to six online digital storytelling workshops, lasting about one hour each. These will be recorded and transcribed. Researchers will observe the workshops and will also gather notes to enrich the narrative data collected. The transcriptions and observations from the workshops will be thematically analysed. The ideas developed will be discussed with participants, to enhance the development of carer-focused understandings of the lives of carers in their contexts. This forms the basis for a Master’s dissertation.
Project dissemination forms a part of a Multi-professional Fellowship Programme awarded to the researcher. The videos created will be used to educate healthcare providers and the public via the BSMS/ NHS and other healthcare social media, as well as at educational and public engagement events. Carers have the option to not participate in this part of the project and explicit consent will be sought to share stories outside the workshops.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0030
Date of REC Opinion
1 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion