Connect My Care App: support for families in ICU
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Connect My Care App: A feasibility study of a person-centred online mobile Application for family communication in critical care
IRAS ID
271378
Contact name
Natalie Pattison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
East and North Herts NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
“Connect My Care App: support for families in ICU”
Connect My Care App: A feasibility study of a person-centred online mobile phone Application for family communication and care planning in critical care
We plan to explore the use of a mobile phone App, as a way of communicating with families, enabling them to take part in care planning when they are not present in the unit.
Aims: To explore if a study of an App-based communication tool can be done with critical care families. To see if this App helps family to interact with the ICU team.
Research Questions:
RQ1: How feasible is use of ‘Connect My Care’ App to communicate with critical care families?
RQ2: How acceptable is an App-based Approach to families and patients as an extra support to normal care?
RQ3: How much is it used and what is it used for? RQ4: How does using the ’Connect my Care’ communication tool in critical care influence family experience of the ICU?
Methods: We will conduct a mixed methods study to understand experiences of ‘Connect My Care’, how it is used and if it is acceptable. We will carry out this feasibility study in a general ICU in the UK.
1. In order to assess the ability to recruit families to the study and deliver the App ‘intervention’, we will collect screening and recruitment data.
2. We will assess how it is used and if it is acceptable with an acceptability questionnaire.
3. We will explore experiences of the App through audio-recorded qualitative interviews (15-20 families).
The App: Connect my care is an interactive, messaging App, with simple messaging capability (not dissimilar to What’s App). Each person messaging is identified with their preferred first name or pseudonym, and there is a search function to group types of messages. It also has information sections.REC name
London - Chelsea Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0124
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jun 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion