Experiences following admission to ED. Older people & acute illness V2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences following admission to hospital through the emergency department with an acute illness. An exploration with people aged 65 and over and the emotional impact on their lives: an interpretativist phenomenological enquiry.
IRAS ID
350470
Contact name
Lynn MacDiarmid
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
De Montfort University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
IA25111, Data Protection Impact Assessment - De Montfort University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 29 days
Research summary
This study focuses on the lived experiences of older adults, age 65 and over who have been admitted to a community hospital following admission to an acute hospital through the emergency department.
Older adults (aged 65 and over) are an underrepresented group in healthcare research, as they are systematically excluded, even though most ill health is concentrated in older adults (Whitty, 2023). As England’s older population grows, there is increased pressure on health services and a need for further research into aspects of older people’s healthcare.
Over half of older adults experience multiple health conditions, making their healthcare complex. Older adults may also have symptoms that differ from the general population. For example, with infection they may have confusion, difficulty with mobility and daily tasks rather than usual signs of fever and feeling unwell.
Acute illnesses in older adults can be serious, needing care in emergency departments. There is limited research on how acute illnesses and emergency admissions affect older adults. Notably, a literature review found no studies that focused specifically on older adults’ experiences of acute medical illness and its impact on their lives.
The study will be conducted in the community hospitals in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. This PhD runs from October 2021 to September 2027 and the data will be collected between March and September 2026.
Participants will be invited to an interview with the researcher in a private quiet room on the ward. This will allow them an opportunity to share their experiences confidentially in a safe space.To explore the lived experiences of older people of their hospital admission from the emergency department through to the community hospital, this study will use an interview approach for gathering information to understand what has happened to older people in hospital and what their experiences are.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/PR/0294
Date of REC Opinion
17 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion