SMART Feasibility Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Self-Management of Analgesia and Related Treatments in palliative care - Feasibility Study
IRAS ID
188663
Contact name
Michael Bennett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
ISRCTN35327119, ISRCTN
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
The SMART study is aimed at improving the management of pain, nausea, constipation and drowsiness for patients approaching the end of life and their carers living in the community.
Despite there being a good understanding of patient and carer concerns regarding opioid analgesia and related side effects, much less is known about the optimal means of addressing these concerns which is why they have been highlighted by NICE guidance. We have developed a set of materials (the "SMART toolkit") to be delivered by healthcare professionals to patients approaching the end of life and their carers to support and improve their self-management of opioid medicines for pain relief, as well as the side effects of these medicines (nausea, constipation and drowsiness).
Our prototype toolkit has been developed within a theoretically informed behaviour change framework. The expected benefits of the self-management support toolkit (SMST) for patients will be improvements in symptom relief and increased confidence in managing medicines and related side effects by themselves, jointly with their informal carer, and in partnership with their healthcare professional.
The toolkit development has been based on evidence synthesised within a behaviour change framework and will be delivered within an approach informed by self-efficacy theory. Using these theoretical frameworks we have developed a prototype SMST that will characterise patients' and carers' self-management knowledge and skills and encourage patients approaching the end of life to be actively involved in the management of their medications and symptoms. We will link this to behaviour change strategies designed to help patients and their carers feel empowered with increased knowledge and skills to recognise worsening symptoms, be able to self-initiate
therapeutic adjustments and know how and when to access help from the medical system.REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0797
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion