EFFIP online resource for carers: Prototype usability evaluation study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EFFIP (E-support for Families and Friends of Individuals affected by Psychosis): Usability evaluation study of online resource-prototype
IRAS ID
233238
Contact name
Jacqueline Sin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St George's, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 21 days
Research summary
It is estimated that approximately 1.5 million people in the UK are caring for a family member or friend with a mental illness (called "carers" thereafter). Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, are recognised as one of the most common and severe mental illness, affecting around 1% of the population. Meanwhile, the burden of caring often means carers of people with psychosis experience high levels of distress and require support. The EFFIP (E-support for Families and Friends of Individuals affected by psychosis) is a NIHR-funded research project which aims to develop and evaluate an online multi-component resource for carers of people affected by psychosis. The online resource aims to promote carers' mental wellbeing, through providing information, peer support and coping strategies in supporting the cared-for individuals in their caring role.
The overall EFFIP project lasts for 5 years (2016-2020). Year 2 (2017) sees the feasibility/piloting phase of the project work. Since early 2017, we have meta-synthesised the results gleaned from the earlier studies to build the resource, alongside participatory inputs from carers, service users, clinicians and relevant support agencies together with elearning experts. The online resource-prototype is nearly built by summer 2017. The present study uses a mix of usability evaluation methods commonly used for testing e-health interventions, with carers as end-users of the resource, to establish its usability (ease of use) and acceptability. We invite carers to try out the resource-prototype through a remote usability study or a think-aloud test session and give us their feedback on how they find navigating and using the resource. The study results will be analysed alongside feedback from eLearning technology experts, to identify areas in need of further development and refinement of the final intervention. Ethical approval is sought for the usability study with carers specifically.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/1642
Date of REC Opinion
6 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion