Patient perceptions of the National Neurosurgical Audit Programme
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A cross-sectional survey of patient perceptions of the National Neurosurgical Audit Programme (NNAP)
IRAS ID
300366
Contact name
Nithish Jayakumar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Joint Research Office
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
The National Neurosurgical Audit Programme (NNAP), established in 2013, publishes mortality outcomes of consultant neurosurgeons and the neurosurgical activity of hospitals across the United Kingdom (UK). The data is publicly accessible (www.nnap.org.uk) and it aims to increase transparency and accountability, while offering patients greater choice in choosing their neurosurgeon.
However, it is unclear how useful outcome data is for patients. Surveys from the United States of America (USA) have shown that a small proportion of patients were aware of the existence of such outcomes data, and even fewer felt that it had an impact on their choice of surgeon or hospital. In general, patients seem to choose surgeons based on word-of-mouth, personal recommendations, among other factors, instead of mortality outcomes data. Moreover, the published outcomes data are not felt to be easy to use or comprehend, can be misleading, or overwhelm patients with excessive data.
These surveys were all undertaken in the USA and it is unclear how this can be applied to the patient population in the UK. Moreover, the majority of these reports are historical.
Our aim, therefore, is to identify neurosurgical patients’ perceptions and understanding of the NNAP data and its influence on their decision-making process in choosing their specialist.
We will invite patients who attend the neurosurgery outpatient clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary to join the study. The study is provisionally planned to run from October 2021-March 2022 and a total of 100 patients are planned to be recruited. After interested patients have consented to participate, paper surveys will be administered and will require completion by patients during the clinic. Responses will be anonymous and transcribed onto a secure NHS trust computer, and only the study team will have access. This study is not being funded.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/YH/0038
Date of REC Opinion
14 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion