Exploring patients' experiences of nutrition after liver transplant
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study investigating the barriers and facilitators to meeting nutrition and exercise recommendations after liver transplant
IRAS ID
216114
Contact name
Lynsey Spillman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This research study aims to explore the experiences people have with diet and exercise after a liver transplant at a transplant centre in the UK. After a liver transplant people are initially advised to follow a high energy and protein diet to help them recover. They are also advised to avoid foods that carry a risk of causing food poisoning as their immune system is supressed. In the long-run there is a risk of becoming overweight and getting diabetes, cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis, so advice is given to follow a healthy diet and exercise. Understanding the experiences of receiving and following diet and exercise advice will help the health care teams looking after people who have had a liver transplant to provide advice in the most effective way. The study will take part in two parts. In part one, about 15 people will be interviewed either face-to-face or over the phone so they can describe their experiences. As diet and exercise recommendations change as time goes on after transplant, people at different stages of recovery will be interviewed. The people invited to be interviewed will be chosen so that a range of experiences are explored, for example people who required feeding with a tube, and people who have become overweight, developed diabetes or heart disease. In part two, a questionnaire will be put together using the information from the interviews. This will be posted to everyone who has had a liver transplant in the 5 years before the study to find out their experiences and thoughts about diet and exercise after liver transplant. It is expected that the study will take 1 year to complete.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0244
Date of REC Opinion
13 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion