Pilot of a public health intervention in the PED (2017).
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development and feasbility/acceptability pilot of a public health intervention for children (aged < 16 years) and their families, attending the paediatric emergency department, focused on improving health outcomes.
IRAS ID
214887
Contact name
Rachel Isba
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Children in Manchester have lower than average levels of health and wellbeing and higher than average levels of attendance at Paediatric Emergency Departments (PEDs). Many attendances are for minor illnesses and injuries, yet increasing demand for services means that these children and their families may spend several hours waiting in the PED for a consultation with a doctor or other health professional that lasts only a few minutes. Whilst there are numerous initiatives to try and re-direct potential PED attenders to other locations, there are very few that aim to use the waiting time in the department to improve health.
This project aims to engage children and their carers during their PED attendance, using public health approaches, in order to have a positive impact on their wider health and wellbeing i.e. not just addressing their primary reason for attendance. This pilot study aims to understand the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a public health intervention study. Data will be collected during this pilot study (in the form of a field diary and questionnaires) and used to inform power calculations and the implementation of future work. By piloting a scheme where the children and families have a consultation with a public health practitioner, it is hoped that there will be positive outcomes arising from the PED attendance, specifically increased vaccination rates, engagement with stop smoking services, and improved dental health.
This pilot will build on current public health work already taking place in the PED at North Manchester General Hospital, a large, dedicated PED based in Greater Manchester, serving a relatively socio-economically deprived population (one third of local children live in poverty), and seeing approximately 30,000 attenders per year.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0192
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion