Information needs and choice between providers of surgical care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Information needs and choice between providers of surgical care for gastrointestinal cancer
IRAS ID
149500
Contact name
B E Byrne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Research summary
This survey has been designed to work out what role patients would like in choosing a provider when they are due to have tests and surgery for cancer of the upper (gullet / oesophagus and stomach) or lower (colon and rectum) gut. It will also assess what information such patients would like to know about the hospital and team that are going to be treating them.
Recent years have seen increasing recognition of the importance of involving patients in health care decisions. There has also been an increase in the amount of information available to patients about the care they receive.
Some previous research has examined what role patients would like in choosing between treatments, but not much work has examined the choice between providers. Similarly, there is relatively little research examining what information patients would like about health care providers. The existing research is generally dated, and may not apply to the current health care system, or to patients with cancer of the upper or lower gut.
This questionnaire is designed to look at whether patients would like to choose between hospitals for tests and surgery for upper or lower gut cancer. It has also been created to look broadly at how important different bits of information about a hospital and surgical team are to patients with bowel cancer. Certain pieces of information may help patients to make a decision about which hospital to go to for treatment, or they may simply help them know more about their local hospital. The study will also examine the opinions of doctors, nurses and managers to see if there are differences between patients and people who work in health care.
The findings of the study will help health care providers to meet patients' wishes regarding provider choice, as well as their information needs, in the future.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SW/1043
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion