Parental Opinions of Appendicitis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessing Parental Knowledge and Views on Appendicitis and its Treatment
IRAS ID
231463
Contact name
Nigel Hall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 28 days
Research summary
Appendicitis makes up for 40,000 hospital admissions in children and adults in the UK each year, it is very common; 7-8% of people will be affected in their lifetime, mostly those aged between 10-20 years old.
This research is based on a questionnaire, which aims to gather the opinions and general knowledge of the public regarding appendicitis and its treatment. Studies have shown that people have poor knowledge when it comes to appendicitis, its complications and its treatment. Patient knowledge is very important for many reasons: treatment effectiveness, treatment compliance, treatment understanding and it is helpful for the patient-doctor decision making process. The NHS promotes shared decisions, wanting patients to be part of the clinical plans regarding their care, so that, with the help of health professionals, they are able to make fully informed choices about their treatment. If a new treatment option is introduced, it is crucial that patients feel that it would be a more than adequate substitute; they need to believe that the treatment they are receiving is good enough. By finding out what the public knows, as well as their feelings towards a new treatment, it is hoped that the treatment of appendicitis can be advanced.
The research will be carried out within paediatric outpatients and aims to gather responses from as many as possible; anyone who is willing to take part will be eligible. It is a short questionnaire, it should only take five minutes, and does not require the participants to give any personal details, nor will they need to take part in any follow up.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0344
Date of REC Opinion
26 Sep 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion