Understanding Mental Health in the Emergency Department
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding how to improve the quality of Emergency Department care, as measured by process measures (length of time in ED), patient experience and safety (patients absconding from ED).
IRAS ID
163469
Contact name
A Moore
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
14/0867 , R&D Reference Number; Z6364106/2014/12/70, UCL Data Protection Registration Number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Emergency Departments (EDs) are struggling, with increasing numbers of patients presenting to the department and increasing numbers having to wait longer than 4 hours. Acute trust data shows disproportionate breaches by mental health patients, who account for 10% of breaches but only 2% of presentations (HSCIC). Mental health breaches have a broad impact on the functioning of the emergency services, affecting the experience and clinical outcomes of all patients (Nicks & Manthey, 2012).
This work is being undertaken as part of the emergency and urgent care review initiated by the Medical & Nursing Director’s Group at UCLPartners (UCLP). UCLP is an academic health science network which works with academics and the NHS to improve the quality of health services through translational research. This project aims to understand the causes of mental health breaches in emergency departments. We are already conducting a case note audit of four separate sites in North London Trust and we are requesting consent to add an additional qualitative research element.
This qualitative research will collect information from patients concerning their experience of the ED visit. The aim of the study is to understand the patient’s experience of the ED and the factors that impact this, the reasons for attending the ED and why ED was their preferred place for care. Views will be collected from a stratified subset of patients from the case note audit and who consented to take part, by telephone interview or self-report questionnaire 2 & 4 weeks after their ED attendance. Only patients with capacity to consent will be approached.
Information gathered in the study will be used to scope and develop recommendations for improving the quality of ED care for mental health patients, including their experience of care, as well as recommendations for improving the efficiency of the care pathway through ED. This work will inform future decision-making about how best to organise emergency hospital services for mental health patients.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0308
Date of REC Opinion
2 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion