Patient perceptions of clinical trials in emergency medicine
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient perceptions of clinical trials in emergency medicine
IRAS ID
131542
Contact name
Steve Goodacre
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
Understanding the perspective of the patient is clearly important when designing clinical trials in emergency medicine. Weighing the risks and benefits of participation is essential before patients are invited to participate. Information and consent processes need to be developed to maximise patient understanding and opportunity to assert their autonomy without compromising care. However, there has to date been little research in this area.
This project is being undertaken as a medical student BMedSci project and aims to explore patient perceptions of participation in clinical trials in emergency medicine. We plan to interview 15-20 patients who have recently suffered a medical emergency and can draw on their experience to inform their perceptions of the feasibility and acceptability of participation in a clinical trial. We will identify patients who were unwell at initial presentation to hospital so their views reflect those of a patient with a genuine medical emergency, but who have recovered sufficiently that the interview process will not be distressing or burdensome. If the consultant responsible for their care is happy that the patient is well enough to participate we will approach the patient, provide information about the study and request their consent to participate.
The interview will be undertaken by the student researcher and will be audiotaped. It will be a semi-structured face-to-face interview and will involving asking the patient about their views on clinical trials, taking part in research in a medical emergency, providing information about research in an emergency and consent to participate in research.
The interviews will be transcribed and analysed to identify themes emerging from patient responses. As the study progresses further participants will be sought who might confirm or refute emerging themes.
The findings of the research will be written up as a dissertation to be examined for the BMedSci and as a scientific paper for publication.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/EM/0316
Date of REC Opinion
8 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion