Paediatric TracheQal
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study of caregiver experiences of caring for a child with a tracheostomy
IRAS ID
273340
Contact name
Malcolm Brodlie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Some children with serious medical problems require help with their breathing. A procedure may be done which involves a surgeon making a small hole in the windpipe, a “tracheostomy”. A tube is placed to keep the hole open and allow the child to breathe. Problems related to the tracheostomy, such as the tube blocking with mucus, can lead to rapid, life-threatening, complications.
Newcastle Hospitals do more tracheostomies in children than most other UK centres, due to the specialist services provided locally. Children with tracheostomies are frequently cared for throughout Newcastle Hospitals, and in the community, due to concurrent medical problems, or complications of the tracheostomy, such as chest infections. Subsequently various healthcare professionals care for these children, some day to-day, others more infrequently.
Those caring for children with a tracheostomy require specialised training, including healthcare professionals in the hospital and community, and parents/guardians if the child is at home.
We aim to understand the experience of caregivers of children with tracheostomies, both the family/guardians and healthcare professionals. To do this we intend to conduct interviews with these groups and through qualitative research methods identify themes that highlight areas for quality improvement within our service and identify areas for further research.
REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/WM/0025
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion