Stakeholder interviews for community-led support in cardiac patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Stakeholder interviews and focus groups to inform a Realist Synthesis of Social Prescribing and community-led interventions in Cardiac Rehabilitation
IRAS ID
364196
Contact name
Julie Munro
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Highland
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 27 days
Research summary
The aim of this project is to inform a realist synthesis project. Stakeholder groups will be interviewed to explore the role of peer-led or community-led interventions for supporting people recovering from a cardiac event. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Recovery from a cardiac event can include ongoing fears, and emotional challenges not addressed by traditional clinical services. The project will explore how community support might bridge this gap. The processes involved in referrals, and engagement will be identified. Patients, cardiac healthcare teams, and those providing community support will be interviewed on their perspectives and experiences. Realist interview style will be used to explore possible theories of how things might work, and for whom. Ideas and perspectives will be refined to provide theories on what successful implementation should involve. Interviews and focus groups will be offered to provide flexibility.
Stakeholder involvement is essential in realist research. The inclusion of different perspectives can help confirm or refute proposed theories on how community support interventions will interact with real world scenarios and systems. Theory development will explore the context, the mechanism, and the outcomes of proposed support. This helps inform implementation research for the next stage of the project. Interviews will follow methodological guidance from Realist and Meta-Narrative Evidence Synthesis (RAMESES) research group.
Interventions available beyond the formal healthcare system may offer cardiac patients the support needed by bridging the gap between acute services and local community.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/WM/0071
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion