Exploring patients' experiences of Open Access Follow Up (version 2.0)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring patients' experiences of Open Access Follow Up after treatment for early stage primary breast cancer.
IRAS ID
180834
Contact name
Michael Coughlan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
JREO, St George's University London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Advances in breast cancer treatments and early detection through screening have led to an increase in breast cancer survivorship. The overall lifetime risk of local recurrence of breast cancer is between 0.5-1% per annum, with most recurrences detected by patients between hospital follow up appointments (NICE, 2009). There is now a move from conventional hospital follow up to open access. This model enables patients from good prognostic groups to be discharged after treatment with access back to the breast unit through the clinical nurse specialist. Providing information on discharge regarding signs of recurrence and management of the effects of treatment will empower patients to self-manage their long-term condition. There is a significant gap within the literature exploring patients experiences of Open Access Follow Up which has led the researcher to carry out a qualitative study exploring patients' experiences of Open Access Follow Up.
Due to the exploratory nature of this study a qualitative approach will be used to provide rich quality data. An interpretive phenomenological approach will be used to understand women's experiences of Open Access Follow Up.Participants will have been discharged into Open Access Follow Up for a year and over and will have capacity to provide informed consent. It is proposed that 10 participants will be interviewed in a private room in an NHS general hospital. Participants will provide written consent prior to taking part in the study. It is proposed that participants will take part in a 45-60 minute taped semi-structured interviews. Participants will be given copies of transcripts to check for accuracy. Participants will have the right to stop the interview or withdraw from the study.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0426
Date of REC Opinion
13 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion