ICT support for care navigation in older people with multimorbidity
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Navigating the care system: What is feasible and acceptable with regard to the use of ICT to support older people with multimorbidity?
IRAS ID
187047
Contact name
Jolien Vos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Lincoln
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
15/NW/0849, North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Navigating the health and social care system (accessing the right services, at the right time) is a daunting and difficult task for patients. Insufficient navigation has consequences for patients (e.g., frustration); the system (e.g., inappropriate use of services) and our society (e.g., waste of resources).
Initially care systems were designed for ‘acute’ events and ‘single’ diseases. However, the number of individuals with multiple long-term health conditions (multimorbidity) is increasing, requiring long-term care from multiple providers at different sites. Previous research has emphasised some of the difficulties these patients encounter in obtaining timely and appropriate care, including the needs and types of support this group expresses (e.g., need for information). Currently, it remains unclear how they navigate the system, who is involved in their care and how best this patient group could be supported.
This study will explore the existing health and care support that individuals with multimorbidity receive and how they manage the different types of support they need to access. Using structured questionnaire and interview data to explore their views and needs, we will then investigate the feasibility (how practical or doable) and acceptability of Information Communication Technology to support people to navigate the health and care system.
The structured questionnaire will be completed by individuals who are 55 years or older, have two or more long-term health conditions and live in England. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a sub-sample of questionnaire participants who consent to a further interview and who live in Lincolnshire.
Based on these data, a paper prototype to support care navigation by this population will be developed.REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
15/NI/0263
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion