Improving Tracheostomy Care

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Improving Tracheostomy Care - National Quality Improvement Programme

  • IRAS ID

    206955

  • Contact name

    Brendan McGrath

  • Contact email

    brendan.mcgrath@mft.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    3 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    This research project is part of a wider quality improvement (QI) initiative to improve the quality and safety of care for patients who require a tracheostomy. These are small plastic tubes that are placed into the front of the neck. Patients who require tracheostomies are complex and harm can arise during routine care due to lack of staff knowledge and education, a lack of equipment or a lack of infrastructure. The QI project is led by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and funded by the Health Foundation.

    Introducing new practices and procedures into the modern NHS can cause difficulties, even if this new ideas have been successful elsewhere. We are using qualitative methods to survey and interview key staff, patients and their carers or families about their experiences of tracheostomy care. We want to learn what the problems with care are perceived to be and how participants think we can make things better.

    We believe that this research will have important implications for designing and implementing future QI resources around tracheostomy care.

  • REC name

    London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/LO/1196

  • Date of REC Opinion

    11 Jul 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion