CHAT:Can HCA Training improve relational care? (feasibility RCT)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can Healthcare Assistant Training improve the relational care of older people?: A development and feasibility study of a complex intervention (feasibility RCT)
IRAS ID
162616
Contact name
Antony Arthur
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN10385799
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Can Health Care Assistant Training improve the relational care of older people?
Older people constitute an increasing proportion of hospital inpatients yet there are concerns about the quality of care, including relational care (e.g. dignity, empathy, emotional support) they receive. Healthcare assistants (HCAs) spend around twice as much time in direct contact with older patients than registered nurses, yet their training in delivering high quality relational care is often ad hoc and has strong emphasis on training in practical skills. Little is known about HCA training needs, and few training interventions have been rigorously tested.
Our research, designed to address this, is taking place in three NHS-England acute Trusts. We wish to conduct a feasibility cluster RCT to assess the feasibility of a definitive study to formally compare the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a new training intervention for healthcare assistants against current training.
This will be achieved by random allocation of wards at each trust to either the new HCA training intervention or ‘training as usual’. The pilot study will indicate: (1) the likely success of a definitive study and (2) key information about the optimal design features (e.g. recruitment strategies, outcome measures) of a definitive trial.
The new training intervention will be delivered over two days, each day approximately one week apart using training methods based on extensive interviews with HCAs and older people. We will ask HCAs to complete questionnaires before and after the study. We will observe interactions between HCAs and older people. We will send questionnaires to older people at an appropriate time following their discharge from the wards in our study.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0025
Date of REC Opinion
13 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion