Case Study: Exploring Narratives-In-Action 1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring Narratives-In-Action: A Case Study of the Impact of Narrative Resources Within a Major Lower Limb Amputation Rehabilitation Environment
IRAS ID
319858
Contact name
Emily Rose Taylor
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Mary's University, Twickenham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This study has been undertaken following a long-term collaboration between St Mary’s University, Twickenham and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, more specifically the Douglas Bader Rehabilitation Centre. The study aims to use a case study of one rehabilitation unit to bridge a gap in the understanding of how narrative resources have been and are now being used within MLLA rehabilitation practice, and the subsequent impacts of this.
Approximately 60,000 individuals with limb absence attend rehabilitation services each year, increasing pressure on prosthetic services to provide support to those in amputee rehabilitation (NHS England, n.d.). Individuals who undergo major lower limb amputation (MLLA) can feel challenged when finding ways to cope with the loss (Sahu, Sagar, Sarkar & Sagar, 2016) and rehabilitation therapists can struggle to comprehend how to best support patients (Leggat, Wadey, Day, Winter, Sanders, in preparation). Research within other rehabilitation disciplines has found resources to be useful when supporting patient care (Teasell, Mehta, Pereira, McIntyre, Janzen, Allen, Lobo & Viana, 2012).
Recent research from Sanders, Wadey, Day and Winter (2020) found that patients within a NHS rehabilitation centre displayed five stories one year after an amputation (i.e., accelerate decline, illusory cure, projection, muddling along, and adaptation). Leggat et al. (in preparation) translated these into animated videos which show characters following these individual journeys. It was found that the videos would help to inform professional practice and raise awareness to different journeys that patients may take. Patients were found to connect with the characters and taught them what they could experience in the future. From this, these resources were then embedded within the practice environment. Despite the promising initial findings of implementing these resources, the long-term uses and impacts of these were not investigated and so the current case study aims to explore this.
All resources are part of standard care at the hospital.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0875
Date of REC Opinion
20 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion