STIMULATE-ICP-CAREINEQUAL
Research type
Research Study
Full title
STIMULATE-ICP: Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways.
IRAS ID
303958
Contact name
Amitava Banerjee
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
JRO University College London/UCLH
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 18 days
Research summary
This is a sub study of the STIMULATE-ICP project(Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding long COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways). STIMULATE-ICP combines clinical epidemiological studies, a large randomized controlled trial(RCT) exploring the benefit of an integrated care pathway (ICP) for long COVID, and mixed methods studies exploring inequalities of care and transferability of the ICP to other long term conditions(LTCs). https://www.stimulate-icp.org/
This sub study, STIMULATE-ICP-CAREINEQUAL, will define usual care and examine inequalities. Long COVID clinics have evolved as the pandemic progressed, some clinics were established prior to NHS England funding, and now there are 80+ clinics which deliver specialist assessment and treatment informed by NICE guidelines. There is documented variation in access to referral and care, and poor patient experience for long COVID pathways, therefore it is important to define the usual care pathway in long COVID clinics, understand patient presentation, effectiveness/cost of care. It is also important to understand accessibility of clinics and long COVID services for patients, barriers to accessing a diagnosis/subsequent care, & whether patients face discrimination.
Patients/health professionals will be interviewed to document their experience and how the clinics function, while patient data from long COVID clinics will be explored to understand the nature of long COVID and the care received. A follow up study of patients will provide an understanding of the outcomes of care and the cost.
The information collected in this sub study will be informative for the successful implementation of ICPs for long COVID and other LTCs (depending on RCT findings).
Four patient organisations have co-created this proposal as co-investigators collaborating in every work package with co-authorship of outputs. We will define long-COVID, its diagnosis and management and provide a platform for trials to improve recovery. Our real-world data and published findings will be available for research and service improvement.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SC/0047
Date of REC Opinion
24 Feb 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion