EQUITY-TIA v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Optimising transient ischaemic attack (TIA) pathways to reduce ethnicity-based inequalities
IRAS ID
340459
Contact name
Elizabeth Teale
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 1 days
Research summary
People from ethnic minority groups are up to twice as likely to have a stroke as white British people, and at younger ages. Before a stroke, nearly 1 in 5 people have a warning 'mini stroke' (TIA); this can feel and look like a stroke, but symptoms get better quickly (within 24h). Getting medical help is urgent even if symptoms have gone because the risk of having a stroke is greatest soon after TIA. This risk can be greatly reduced for people who are seen and treated by specialists quickly. Effective treatment for TIA relies on steps in the 'TIA pathway': seeking help; being referred to and attending clinic; accepting treatment and sticking to it. We will investigate ethnicity-based differences in this pathway and, working with people from diverse ethnic groups, make suggestions for improvement.
In our current work, we are using routine health record data to investigate if personal characteristics (ethnic group, age, sex, deprivation score) are related to TIA clinic referral or attendance after suspected TIA, and how they relate to stroke in the year following clinic attendance.
In this study, we will explore how TIA services in England function for people from ethnic minority groups. We will interview patients, their family carers, and staff working within TIA services. We will observe clinic appointments and examine information given to patients. We will interview people from ethnically diverse communities about what they know and understand about seeking help for TIA. Then, we will meet with patients, staff and the public to help us understand our findings. We will hold a series of coproduction workshops with people who have had TIA/stroke, members of the community, healthcare workers and people who design healthcare services to discuss and agree what could make TIA pathways work better for people from ethnic minority groups.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0231
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion