Experiencing diagnosis in Parkinson's disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The experiences of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
IRAS ID
155955
Contact name
Emma Warren
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Lancaster University
Research summary
Being diagnosed with a serious chronic illness can have a considerable psychological impact on an individual, however this has rarely been explored with people with Parkinson's disease (PD). This life-long condition is often associated with a significant reduction in quality of life and receiving a diagnosis of this kind may be a considerably difficult process which requires further support. A limited body of research has considered first-hand experiences of receiving a diagnosis of PD, however this research has limitations due to the methods used and none have been conducted in the UK.
This study will aim to consider patients within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, and will recruit an appropriate sample with a recent diagnosis. Participants will be recruited from services within University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and will take part in an audio-recorded interview which will last approximately sixty minutes. It is hoped that this research will lead to increasing the understanding of the experience of this diagnostic process which in turn could inform individualised support for patients at this time in their life.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/1306
Date of REC Opinion
22 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion