Preparing for your child's cardiac surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are parents’ experiences of preparing for their child’s planned cardiac surgery and PICU admission?
IRAS ID
363026
Contact name
Helen Hartley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research project aims to explore parents’ experiences of preparing for their child’s planned cardiac surgery and critical care admission. There is a current gap in the evidence to help support and provide information to parents whose child is having planned cardiac surgery.
The study has been designed with the help of four parents who were consulted regarding the recruitment and data collection methods and approaches. These were parents of children previously admitted for planned cardiac surgery at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
This qualitative study conducted at one clinical site (Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust), will use semi-structured interviews to collect data from parents. The interviews will be conducted with parents after their child’s surgery and prior to hospital discharge. The interviews will explore parent’s perceptions of their preparation for their child’s surgery and critical care admission and aim to gain insight into what could improve how parents are supported before, during and after their child’s surgery.
Parents will be identified at the pre-admission cardiac clinic that parents and children attend approximately 1 week prior to their elective admission. This clinic has representation from all aspects of the multi-disciplinary team involved in the child’s care.
This project, funded by Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust will aim to recruit between 20-25 parents whose child has had cardiac surgery.
The qualitative data will be thematically analysed.
This project aims to inform the preparation and support of parents’ whose child is admitted for complex cardiac surgery in a specialist, regional centre.
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
25/WA/0346
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion