NPT PreAmp

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Assessing the acceptability of resources for the psychological preparation of patients for amputation surgery

• IRAS ID

  327403

• Contact name

  Esmée Hanna

• Contact email

  esmee.hanna@dmu.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  De Montfort University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  The aim for this study have been designed based on previous PPI work, and scoping reviews of the relevant literature as well as building on the previous workpackages of the wider study. There is a paucity of evidence around the pre-operative phase for patients who are scheduled to undergo amputation surgery and whilst it is now shown that optimising patients physical condition before surgery helps facilitate positive postoperative outcomes (including reducing mortality), there is limited evidence around the patients sense of preparedness for surgery and how increased patient information and decision making pre-operatively can help with patient outcomes. However, it is thought by patients that such preparation can be helpful to improve subsequent rehabilitation. Rehabilitation has been a central focus of amputation research with aftercare for amputees positioned as key to the avoidance of further psychological and social issues, including ensuring patients are supported with prosthesis as required. Whilst the fitting of a prosthesis is seen to offer a protective factor in relation to mortality, patients need to be prepared and adjusted in order to engage fully and positively with the process of rehabilitation, and how the pre-operative phase intersects with this is currently underexplored.
  In the previous phase of the project (IRAS ID: 317146) we are co-designing with patients and staff resources to support preparation of patients, therefore the aim of this workpackage is to assess the feasibility of these resources. Following the MRC guidelines for feasibility we aim to understand ‘To what extent can a new idea, programme, process, or measure be successfully delivered to intended participants in some defined, but not fully controlled, context?’. In lay terms, we will be assessing the question of whether the resources work in terms of helping patients and staff with the psychological preparation of patients who are undergoing amputations.

  Results Summary:
  We found that to prepare people for an amputation we need to give them clear information. Staff need to include patients in conversations about their care. Patients need time and space to ask questions. Different staff all need to work together to make preparing patients possible. This means they need to talk to each other and share information. They also need to include people who work outside of hospitals, such as social workers. It is important to help patients prepare for when they leave hospital. Vascular wards are very busy. Often there is not a lot of time to spend on preparing patients for having an amputation. There is also not always enough staff. We need to have more psychologists to support people who are having amputations. Patients would also like to be able to talk to existing amputees. People who have experience of amputation are seen as being helpful to people about to have an amputation.

  From our research we created some resources to help prepare people for having amputations. We designed these resources with amputees and healthcare professionals. The resources we made are: 1. A Frequently Asked Questions document to answer common questions about amputation. 2.Videos telling the stories of people who had recently had an amputation. 3. Advice on how to connect patients with other amputees for peer support. 4. We also developed a checklist for staff to help them talk to patients about having an amputation. We tested these resources and got positive feedback. These resources have the potential to improve the way we prepare patients for having an amputation. This is positive for patients, and will also help make preparing patients easier for staff. We hope more hospitals will use the resources in the future and this will mean we can impact more people.

  A video of our findings is available at preamp.dmu.ac.uk
  

• REC name

  North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  24/NW/0019

• Date of REC Opinion

  7 Feb 2024

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion