CHAT-PD Study v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Child and Parent Attitudes towards Polypharmacy and Deprescribing in Children
IRAS ID
296600
Contact name
Daniel B Hawcutt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The number of medicines children are prescribed is increasing. In a tertiary care children’s hospital, about 1 in 3 inpatients take 10 or more medicines. Whilst there has been extensive research into adult polypharmacy (those taking lots of medicines), there is little research in paediatric polypharmacy. As a paediatric doctor training in pharmacology, myself and my colleagues believe paediatric polypharmacy is a growing concern and one that needs addressing. However, we want to know what children and young people and their parent(s)/carer(s) think. Do they also think this is a problem, and what do they think about the number of medicines they are currently taking?
A questionnaire has already been designed and validated to assess the attitudes of adults and their carers towards deprescribing (stopping medicines), but it has not been used in children, young people and families. We have amended the questions so that they are more suitable for either children and young people or their parent(s)/carer(s).
Separate questionnaires will assess the attitudes of children and young people (age 10-17 years) and their parents/carers towards deprescribing. Age 10 was chosen as this is the youngest age children have provided feedback to the MHRA about medicine side effects. Some participants will be asked to complete the same questionnaire 1 week later to help us validate the questionnaire. The study will take place in children’s hospitals where there are many children taking lots of medicines.
In addition to providing valuable information on their attitudes towards deprescribing, this study will also help us decide if we need to develop a tool or guideline to help aid deprescribing in children. There are many guidelines for older aged adults, but no such guideline currently exists for use in children, where the medicines taken differs, but the problem of polypharmacy still exists.REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0181
Date of REC Opinion
9 Aug 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion