How do clinicians in the AMU look after patients who have D&V?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants in the Acute Medical Unit look after patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting?
IRAS ID
150321
Contact name
Matsikachando Rodgers Moyo
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Outbreaks of infectious diarrhoea and vomiting cause significant disruptions to health services all over the world. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that hospital outbreaks of infectious diarrhoea and vomiting cost the National Health Service £115 million each year. Besides these financial costs, the impact of such outbreaks to affected inpatients include longer hospital stays and clinical repercussions varying from discomfort to life-threatening disorders. Unfortunately however, little is known about how hospital-based clinicians assess and manage patients with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting. As such, it is difficult to determine which clinical practices could be improved so as to reduce incidents of avoidable hospital outbreaks.
To address this lack of knowledge and evidence, a study focusing on the activities of doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants in the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) of a local teaching hospital is being proposed to answer the following questions:
1. How are patients with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting assessed and managed by AMU doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants and what factors influence these processes?
2. What are the patients’ experiences and understanding of diarrhoeal-related care in the AMU?Data collection is expected to last 13 months and will involve ethnographic methods that include observations of clinical activities, interviews with AMU patients who have symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting, interviews with the doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants caring for them, reviews of eligible patients’ notes, reviews of relevant hospital policies, guidelines and infection prevention and control information, and clinician-centred photo walkabouts and think-aloud exercises.
It is hoped that besides improving knowledge in this area of healthcare, the results of the study will also be used to improve the way that patients with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting are cared for in hospitals.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/1197
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion