Frequent attendance at A&E with self-harm.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Frequent attendance with self-harm: An exploration of service users relationships with A&E services.

• IRAS ID

  144141

• Contact name

  Sophie O'Connor

• Contact email

  sophie.o'connor@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Humber NHS Foundation Trust

• Research summary

  Frequent attendance to Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments is an increasing issue, and one which holds significance with the current pressures upon A&E departments and funding cuts in the NHS. Research to date has explored frequent attendance for a range of presenting problems; descriptive, demographic and service evaluation data has identified particular ‘profiles’ of people who frequently attend. However, there is a lack of understanding around why people frequently attend A&E services with self-harm despite often having bad experiences and alternative options for support. Research into frequent attendance for medically unexplained symptoms has identified that understanding how individuals relate to services may guide interventions with staff to ensure that service users needs are more appropriately met.

  The present research seeks to explore individuals’ views of their relationships with services when they present to A&E with self-harm, and will be funded by the University of Hull and Humber NHS Foundation Trust. Participants will be recruited through the A&E liaison team, and participation will be a total of approximately 2 hours. This qualitative research will use semi-structured interviews, which will be analysed through Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis; the interview transcripts will be coded, and the codes will be categorised into common themes. The themes will then be discussed in the context of relevant theory by considering any patterns of interaction in the relationship between staff and services. The research findings may in turn help reduce frequent attendance, cost and demand.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/YH/0149

• Date of REC Opinion

  8 Jul 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion