The SHIELD exploratory study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Social network facilitated engagement in people who are Homeless to address InEqualities in alcohol-related Liver Disease - The SHIELD exploratory study

• IRAS ID

  271706

• Contact name

  Ryan Buchanan

• Contact email

  rmb1d14@soton.ac.uk

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  Background
  Homelessness in the UK is increasing. The death rate in people who are homeless is also increasing. A leading cause of death in the homeless is alcohol related liver disease.

  Fatal complications of alcohol related liver disease including liver cancer and variceal bleeding can be prevented if liver disease is diagnosed at an early stage. Simple blood tests can now be used to assess people for underlying liver disease.

  Alcohol consumption is known to cluster within groups of friends. We suspect that this is also the case in the homeless. For example, some people who are homeless may buy alcohol for each other or drink together. They are therefore likely to know who else is drinking too much alcohol.

  Objectives
  We want to know whether it is possible to design a service that uses the social connections between people who are homeless to improve their access to testing for alcohol related liver disease. To answer this question we will address the following objectives:

  1. Understand how homeless people who drink too much alcohol are socially connected
  2. Explore whether the homeless are happy to refer each other to clinic appointments
  3. Establish how many can be contacted three months after first participating in the study
  4. Work out whether we can collect the laboratory results necessary to test whether a future intervention works

  How will it be done?
  We will identify people who are homeless and drinking too much alcohol. They will be asked to complete a questionnaire and some participants may also undertake a recorded interview. The questionnaire and interview will both explore how people who are homeless consume alcohol together and their willingness to refer each other to medical services.

• REC name

  North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  20/NW/0325

• Date of REC Opinion

  3 Sep 2020

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion