Immunosuppressed Travellers: Perspectives and Experiences
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Perspectives and Experiences of Immunosuppressed Travellers on Pre-Travel Health Advice and Travel Health: Insights from a Qualitative Study.
IRAS ID
334025
Contact name
Nicola Longley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Hospital
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2024/06/185 health research, UCL research registration
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
In England there are half a million people with weakened immune systems (immunosuppressed) which puts them at higher risk of health issues when they travel abroad. This makes getting personalized and informed travel advice important. The Hospital For Tropical Diseases' travel clinic helps a lot of these individuals, but we still need to learn more about what happens to these travellers when they go abroad.
This study will help us understand the health challenges faced by people with weakened immune systems when they travel to other countries. By figuring this out, we can give them better advice before they travel, making sure they stay safe and healthy.
We will investigate the experiences of up to 30 people who visited the travel clinic. These individuals will take part in our study in two ways:
Follow-up Interviews: We’ll interview them after they come back from their trip. We'll ask about their travels, how it affected their health, and what they thought of the advice they received.
Photovoice: We'll also ask them to take photos that show what their travels were like with their health condition, to help us understand their experiences better. They'll also share their photos and stories with others in a workshop and explore the meanings of the photos.
These interviews and workshops will be recorded so we can analyze them later.
We’ll analyze the information gathered in the study to find common themes in the individuals’ experiences. We’ll publish and share our results with health professionals, and we aim to showcase the photos in exhibitions or health materials to promote travel advice to people with weak immune systems. Ultimately, our goal is to give better advice and support to people with weak immune systems when they travel so they can stay safe and healthy whilst away from home.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SC/0249
Date of REC Opinion
12 Aug 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion