Qualitative evaluation of TytoCare pilot
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Qualitative evaluation of the TytoCare handheld medical device pilot across Yorkshire and the Humber.
IRAS ID
303543
Contact name
Andria Hanbury
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
The Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaboration (YHARC) has been commissioned to evaluate regional piloting of a handheld medical device across Yorkshire. Funding is provided by the National Institute for Health Research as an amendment to contract. The device is called TytoCare. TytoCare can be used to perform medical examinations for the ear, throat, lungs, heart, temperature, skin and abdomen. The examinations can be performed by a patient/carer (‘TytoHome’ device), following simple instructions generated by the device which sits in their home. There is also a ‘TytoPro’ device, used by health professionals to perform medical examinations. For both device types, the readings can be uploaded to a secure platform for later review by the health care team. The examinations can also be viewed during a ‘live’ consultation with, for example, a hospital-based specialist. Thus, the device enables remote monitoring of patients as well as remote diagnosis of a range of acute conditions.
The pilot is being led by the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (YHAHSN). It is classed as service development activity, including the collection of patient and health professional feedback via surveys, and the collection and analysis of device usage data. With the YHARC having been commissioned to evaluate the pilot further, our focus is on conducting richer, qualitative exploration of stakeholder perceptions of 1) the device (its acceptability, sustainability and whether they have used it as planned) and, 2) barriers and facilitators influencing uptake. This application relates to the qualitative evaluation only, comprising interviews with three stakeholder groups (patients, health professionals and key informants) across 4 participating pilot sites. The deliverable is a final report detailing the qualitative findings and recommendations to support successful implementation of the device for wider roll-out, should that decision be taken.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0684
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion