GRIP-DCE

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    GRIP - Patients’ Preferences for New Models of Eye Care Based on Risk Prediction: A Discrete Choice Experiment

  • IRAS ID

    321411

  • Contact name

    Augusto Azuara-Blanco

  • Contact email

    a.azuara-blanco@qub.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Queen's University Belfast

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 5 months, 16 days

  • Research summary

    Key Question – What?
    The objective of GRIP-DCE is to determine the aspects of a monitoring service that are most important to people with ocular hypertension (OHT). We aim to determine individuals’ preferences for characteristics of different OHT monitoring plans and how they weigh up these characteristics. We aim to predict the probability of choosing alternative monitoring plans with different characteristics in a hypothetical scenario.

    Key Question – Why?
    Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness in the UK. Once developed, glaucoma cannot be completed cured. Individuals with OHT are at high risk of developing glaucoma. In the UK, many individuals diagnosed with OHT are advised to have regular monitoring at hospital eye services for rest of their life. There is variability in frequency of monitoring and also in types of services delivered across the regions. Therefore, it is important to understand the preferences of individuals with OHT for different monitoring services.

    Key Question – How?
    The objectives will be achieved by using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey. We use a DCE in this study as it allows the researcher to elicit individuals’ preferences for different characteristics of OHT monitoring. Specifically, the DCE allows us to estimate how an individual with OHT will considers the disadvantages to themselves (i.e., inconvenience caused by waiting and traveling to monitoring) of adhering to a monitoring plan in comparison to a potentially lower risk of converting to glaucoma.

    In GRIP-DCE, patients will be presented with hypothetical monitoring options. These monitoring options will have different ‘attributes’ and 'levels' associated with them. Qualitative research with 23 individuals in the UK was used to inform the attributes included in the DCE (Ethics reference number at University of Aberdeen: SERB 2022/5/2390). PPIE representatives from the study team were involved in the study design of the qualitative study and the DCE survey.

  • REC name

    East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    23/EM/0060

  • Date of REC Opinion

    16 Feb 2023

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion