Living with Long Term Conditions Scale in routine care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding barriers and enablers of using the Living with Long Term Conditions scale as part of routine care for people from under-served groups living with long-term conditions
IRAS ID
350630
Contact name
Mari Carmen Portillo
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 4 days
Research summary
In England, over 15 million people live with at least one long-term condition (LTC), such as diabetes, arthritis, or heart disease. Some groups, particularly those from under-served communities, are at a higher risk of developing one or more LTCs. Living with an LTC doesn’t just affect physical health—it can impact emotional well-being, cultural identity, and financial stability. To provide better care, healthcare professionals need to understand how each person’s life is affected by their condition.
We have created a tool called the Living with Long-Term Conditions (LwLTCs) scale, a questionnaire that helps assess how well someone is managing their LTC. This tool is designed to support healthcare professionals in providing care tailored to a person’s individual needs.
Our project aims to understand the challenges and opportunities for using the LwLTCs scale in primary care (like GP clinics) for people from under-served communities. We will interview 20 people with LTCs and 15 healthcare professionals, including GPs, specialist nurses, and podiatrists, in Hampshire. These interviews will help us identify what works well and what doesn’t when using the scale. We’ll also work with healthcare professionals to ensure their support for future studies testing the tool in practice.
We’ve worked closely with a patient and public involvement (PPI) group to design this study. Our PPI co-lead is from a diverse community, has lived with a LTC for 20 years, and brings valuable insights. The PPI group will review materials, share ideas, and help reach communities that are often left out of research.
The project will run from 5th March 2025 to 31st March 2026. We will share the results with participants, healthcare teams, and policymakers and publish them in journals with public contributors as co-authors.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0097
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion