Home Sampling v1.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Trial of a home sampling service in support of the Attend Anywhere and Hospital-at-Home programmes
IRAS ID
289237
Contact name
AS Davison
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic due to the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a worldwide increase in hospitalisations for pneumonia with multi-organ failure. Hospital attendance is discouraged unless completely necessary, however many patients still require secondary and tertiary care services for specialist investigation and the management of complex chronic disease. Efforts are continually being made to reduce the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 via the exploration of alternative ways to facilitate continued provision of the best possible care. One such example is the use of virtual consultations which forms a key part of the ‘Attendance Anywhere’ project at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. A fundamental part of evaluating the health and wellbeing of a patient is to perform blood tests. This usually requires attendance at community or hospital phlebotomy centres which presents a potential risk to patients. As well as this, both community and hospital phlebotomy services are currently experiencing pressure due to staff redeployment, sickness, and other logistical changes. One way to help mitigate these factors is for patients to collect a finger prick blood sample themselves at home, as done routine for blood glucose monitoring by diabetics, and post this to a laboratory. As well as potential improvements in safety and reduced pressure on phlebotomy services, home collection of samples can be significantly more convenient for patients.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
21/NS/0057
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion