FRAIL-HaH study V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the patient safety risks and benefits of step-up hospital-at-home: An ethnographic study of the care of older people living with frailty
IRAS ID
349684
Contact name
Beth Fylan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bradford
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
BACKGROUND
NHS England has implemented virtual wards, also known as the hospital-at-home (HaH) model, to address the rising demand for acute healthcare, especially among older people. HaH is an acute clinical service that provides hospital-level care to selected individuals in their usual place of residence, including care homes. It is a substitute for acute inpatient hospital care and encompasses staffing, equipment, technologies, medication, and the necessary skills typically found in hospitals.
AIM:
This study aims to determine how patient safety is understood and managed on a hospital admission avoidance HaH (step-up)for older people living with frailty.
METHODS
The project uses Focused Ethnography (an in-depth, short-term study that observes and interviews a specific group of people in their everyday setting, concentrating on a clearly defined topic or activity) to collect data through interviews and participant observation.
This study will use interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the day-to-day decisions clinicians make to ensure the safety of individuals in their homes. Additionally, it will explore the patients' and their carers'/relatives' perceptions of the safety of care in their homes. Different stakeholders, including older people living with frailty who are cared for on a step-up HaH, their families, clinical managers, and healthcare professionals, will be interviewed either face-to-face or digitally (via Teams or Zoom interviews).
Participant observations (staff and patients) will be conducted by observing staff during clinical visits at patients' usual residence.
The research findings will be beneficial to care managers, patients, their caregivers, and policymakers by informing them on how to safely implement step-up HaH for older people living with frailty.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
25/WA/0326
Date of REC Opinion
21 Nov 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion