Integration of specialist health care services: a mixed methods study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Integration of specialised services for eating disorders and functional symptoms in children and young people (CENT): a mixed methods study
IRAS ID
317213
Contact name
Pushspen Joshi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College of London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2022/08/59 health research, Data Protection Registration Number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Traditionally, children and young people (CYP) who need specialist health care were cared for by a single specialist, who could address most of their immediate health care needs. For complex chronic health conditions and disabilities however, this approach might not be effective since physical and mental health (PMH) might require various expertise. To address these challenges more recent trends in care are based on team-based care. This kind of care involves healthcare professionals with various specialities and encourages greater collaboration among them. This is linked with an increasing recognition of the importance of addressing both PMH care needs and is also known as integration of health care services.
We are carrying out a study with the planners of the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital (CCH) to investigate the integration of PMH services for children. CCH is under development, planning to open fully in 2026. One of its main focuses is to generate better clinical outcomes for CYP through new models of care that integrate PMH care.
Two clinical settings in which this might be manifested are the integration of PMH care for eating disorders and for functional symptoms.
The aims of the study are to use qualitative and quantitative methods to support and inform the planned integration of PMH services for eating disorders and for functional symptoms at CCH; to propose new ways of implementation of these services at CCH; and to identify lessons that will guide the reconfiguration of specialist services into integrated models of care elsewhere in the NHS.
This application considers the following components of the study: the systematic review of care pathways; the economic evaluation; the qualitative study of carers experience and the experiments to elicit preferences. A separate application has been submitted appropriately for the service evaluation conducted through a qualitative study of staff experience.REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/EM/0277
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion