ARI hub implementation (ARIHI) study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Implementation of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) hubs to support prompt management of respiratory tract infections in the community in England: a qualitative study
IRAS ID
324206
Contact name
Aleksandra Borek
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
With more demand for healthcare services and the dissatisfaction of patients and the healthcare workforce, we need new ways to deliver urgent/acute care in the community. It is especially important to ensure accessible, timely and equitable ways to manage common acute respiratory infections (ARI). Local ARI Hubs are being established in England to promptly triage, assess and treat patients with ARI symptoms in the community. The hubs aim to provide patients with same-day access and help ease pressures on other health services, such as A&E and general practice. Currently, hundreds of hubs are being rapidly set up according to local contexts. This is a unique and timely opportunity to study the real-world implementation of a new pathway to delivering urgent care.
This project aims to identify and describe how ARI hubs have been implemented, that is, how they have been set up and how they assess and manage patients with ARIs.
This research involves qualitative methods, such as interviews and observations. We want to observe the staff and patients (including in consultations, with consent) at 1-3 ARI hubs selected as case studies to identify how these ARI hubs work. We want to speak to professionals and patients or parents/guardians to find out their views and experiences of working or consulting at ARI hubs. Additionally, we want to speak to about 30 professionals in different roles working at different ARI hubs. The interviews will explore how different hubs have been set up in different local contexts, and what worked well or what could be improved. This will help identify key lessons and suggestions for future ARI hubs or similar health services. We will consult Patient/Public Involvement contributors to ensure the research is relevant and important to patients, and promptly share the findings to inform service planning.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0385
Date of REC Opinion
24 May 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion