Hospital resource use & patient quality of life for C.Diff infection

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    A description of the UK NHS hospital resource use and patient quality of life associated with hospitalisations for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

  • IRAS ID

    127924

  • Contact name

    Mark Wilcox

  • Contact email

    mark.wilcox@leedsth.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    MSD

  • Research summary

    This study is designed to describe the cost of hospital resource use of patients with a recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Rates of Clostridium difficile have reduced significantly in the UK in recent years as a result of infection prevention and control and prescribing measures. However, it is still responsible for significant mortality and morbidity, and in addition, hospitalisation and re-hospitalisation may be costly in terms of NHS resource.

    An up to date evaluation of the hospital resource use associated with recurrent CDI hospitalisations, may help NHS decision making on the cost effectiveness of investment in additional medicines, in particular those that are reported to reduce rates of recurrent CDI.

    This is a multi-centre non-interventional research study and will involve the retrospective collection of resource use data from medical records, and the prospective assessment of health-related quality of life through administration of a patient questionnaire by the Infection Control Nurse.
    The study will involve recruitment of 150 patients, 75 patients hospitalised for a recurrence of CDI and 75 matched controls with only a first episode of CDI and no recurrence.
    For the quality of life questionnaire, 30 patients will complete this if they have been hospitalised with CDI.
    Data from both the medical records and the questionnaires will be collected by the NHS healthcare team and provided to an external research consultancy (pH Associates) in a coded-anonymised form for analysis. Analysis will be descriptive in nature.

  • REC name

    London - Brent Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    13/LO/1046

  • Date of REC Opinion

    9 Aug 2013

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion