LUS Study V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The impact of lung ultrasound on physiotherapy practice: a mixed method study
IRAS ID
316369
Contact name
Craig Walker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Robert Gordon University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
There is a high risk for patients to develop lung problems after heart surgery. These lung problems, if not caught early, can lead to long stays in the hospital and possibly death. Physiotherapists are part of the team to find these lung problems early on after heart surgery. The current diagnostic tools commonly used to find these lung problems by physiotherapists, however, are not reliable and lack accuracy.
Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a highly accurate and reliable diagnostic tool used at the bedside that can be used to find these lung problems. It is safer than chest x-ray and computerised tomography because it does not emit radiation. Physiotherapists have begun to use LUS, but there is little research exploring the impact it is having on physiotherapy practice, as well as the experiences of those who are using it.
The aim of this study is to explore the use of LUS among physiotherapists working in heart care, the impact LUS has on physiotherapy practice regarding lung problem identification and management, and the experiences of physiotherapists using LUS. This explanatory sequential mixed-method study will begin with a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. This study will recruit NHS North West physiotherapists working in the cardiothoracic setting within the Lancashire Cardiac Centre. The quantitative phase will consist of physiotherapists completing questionnaires after their initial assessment of a post-heart surgery patient and after receiving the results of a LUS conducted by an independent LUS scanner on the same patient. These questionnaires will measure any changes in lung problem identification and/or management of the patient due to the use of LUS in addition to the initial physiotherapy assessment. The qualitative phase will consist of inviting physiotherapists from the quantitative phase to participate in a semi-structured interview to explore their perceptions and experiences of LUS.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
22/SS/0089
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion