Complexity and NHS Dementia Inpatient Care. Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the meaning, presentation and assessment of complexity in mental health NHS dementia inpatient wards: An interpretive description study.
IRAS ID
161744
Contact name
Lesley Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
The term complexity is commonly used in conjunction with dementia and can be the reason for admission into a mental health NHS dementia inpatient wards (NICE/SCIE 2006, Pinner et al 2011). Yet despite a heightened national recognition and awareness about dementia the areas of ‘complexity’ and such specialist clinical areas have received little attention. Consequently there is no shared understanding about complexity in dementia care nor is there any consensus about what the key components of assessment should be when someone is complex. This is of concern as people who are admitted to dementia inpatient wards are placed in such clinical environments as their needs cannot safely be met elsewhere.
Conducted within mental health NHS dementia inpatient wards in the Northwest of England the primary aim of the study is to explore and describe the meaning and nature of complexity in dementia care. It will then describe the key components of assessment for individuals with dementia who are currently receiving care and treatment.
This will be an applied qualitative research study using interpretive description. Interpretive description is a methodological approach orientated towards clinical practice. The study is divided into four sequential stages. Stage one explores the literature and theoretical premise for the study. Stage two will explore the views of stakeholders in dementia care through an internet survey, face to face interviews and focus groups. Stage three will explore how complexity and assessment is represented in people who are currently inpatients. This stage will include interviews with patients, relatives and staff, observations of ward handovers and participating patients and a review of participating patients’ medical records. Stage four will describe and interpret the data.
The concepts that this research will explore are of particular relevance as the rising dementia incidence is likely to increase pressure on health care services.
REC name
North West - Haydock Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0116
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion