What might help people to live and die well with leg swelling?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How does leg swelling impact people with multimorbidity at the end of life and what might support them to live and die well?
IRAS ID
342092
Contact name
Caroline Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Some people with multimorbidity (more than one long-term health condition) develop leg swelling at the end of their lives (meaning roughly the last year of life). Swelling causes physical problems, including pain, infection and inability to go out or wear clothes you like. It also causes psychological problems, including isolation, poor body-image, suicidal thoughts and fear of infection. It is not clear how many people are affected, but one small study suggests it could be 51% of those being cared for by a hospice (1). People with multimorbidity are medically complex and there is little information available to tell us how to support people with leg swelling in this group. This study aims to learn about the impact of swelling and which interventions might offer support.
Participants
People with multimorbidity and in roughly the last year of life, who suffer from leg swelling.Eligibility
Leg swelling caused by any condition, disease or problem can be included. Swelling must have been present for longer than three months.Sites
Phase 2 of the study will be conducted with people under the care of South London hospices. Phase 3 will be conducted at specialist sites across the UK, for example, leg clinics, hospices or hospitals.Length and participation
The study lasts 72 months. Phase 2 participants will be interviewed about their experiences of living with leg swelling. Phase 3 participants will be observed at a clinic appointment receiving care, their medical notes will be reviewed and they and their clinician will be interviewed. Phase 4 participants will form an expert panel to review study outcomes and agree what might help people with leg swelling most.(1) Best, M. Tang, E. Buhagiar, M. et al. (2018) “Lower-limb oedema at the end of life: how common is it?,” Journal of lymphoedema, 13:1, pp. 20-23
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
25/WA/0278
Date of REC Opinion
1 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion