Healthcare Professionals Prescibing Intravenous Fluid Therapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Systems Analysis of Health Professionals Prescribing Intravenous Fluid Therapy
IRAS ID
203260
Contact name
Tim Dornan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
QUB
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, months, 0 days
Research summary
IV fluid therapy is a routine task undertaken by clinical teams in many hospital departments. Adverse events and patient harm from inattention to fluid and electrolyte management are common. Why these events continue to occur is not entirely known. This research aims to explore this problematic situation and identify different perspectives of task-specific expertise grounded in observations of practice in busy work environments. Understanding the task through various ‘lenses’ of professional practice will help develop some feasible and acceptable educational interventions for IV fluid therapy to improve this situation.
The researchers will observe clinical teams making decisions about IV fluid therapy during their activities in the nominated units through the study period and create written descriptions of what they see. All health professionals working in these units are eligible to participate and will have been briefed by the department leads about the purposes of the research team's presence. The researchers will describe the roles and relationships involved in performing IV fluid therapy, and ask clarifying questions to members of staff through informal conversations. All members of the research team will regularly discuss the findings of prescribing acts and create models of the situation from relevant clinical team perspectives.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
16/WA/0389
Date of REC Opinion
5 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion