Emergency Cancer Diagnoses and Emotional Impact on Healthcare Staff

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    What is the emotional impact on healthcare professionals when a cancer diagnosis is made in emergency settings?

  • IRAS ID

    322138

  • Contact name

    Daniel Kelly

  • Contact email

    KellyDM@cardiff.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Cardiff University

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    4 years, 6 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    37% of cancers in Wales are diagnosed when a person attends an Emergency Department (ED) or a Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) setting in a general hospital. They go to the hospital as their symptoms (whatever type maybe) have become unbearable or they are unwell. This may be prompted by their primary care team who refer to an emergency setting in a hospital or they have decided themselves to attend the hospital’s ED. These patients undergo emergency assessment and investigations (i.e. scans, blood tests, camera tests). They may be admitted to hospital or arrange to return to the SDEC department once investigations results are available. The healthcare worker is not a cancer specialist and may have limited experience and knowledge of the cancer. The research is aimed at understanding the impact on healthcare workers in a general hospital of looking after this group of patients. This may be the doctors, nurses or other healthcare professionals as well as the ward clerk on a hospital ward or receptionist in a SDEC area.
    Staff working in two NHS organizations in Wales with ED and SDEC departments, have worked or are working in these areas will be eligible to take part.
    Staff participating will have a one off interview with the researcher. Recruitment will last for 12 months.

  • REC name

    N/A

  • REC reference

    N/A