MAP-CLD Social Science
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Management of Patients with Chronic Liver Disease Admitted to Hospital as an Emergency: MAP-CLD Social Science
IRAS ID
312387
Contact name
William Bernal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
This study uses qualitative methods to identify the ‘journey’ that people with chronic liver disease (CLD) follow after emergency admission. CLD is a serious and increasing problem in the UK, and many people do not know that they have it until they need to be admitted to the hospital as an emergency. Outcomes for these patients can be very poor, a quarter dying within two months of emergency admission. Survival of those who live in the most deprived areas is half that of those who live in the most well-off ones.
This study will investigate patient experiences of CLD in relation to healthcare and in the context of their everyday lives. We want to understand how patients experience emergency admission, why some but not others are treated by specialists or admitted to Critical Care Units, and how variation in outpatient care after discharge makes a difference. Importantly, we want to investigate how patients’ lives are affected by the diagnosis and healthcare they receive. Two work packages (WPs) will investigate these issues: WP3- observation and interviews within hospital sites (ethnography) and WP4- interviews with out-patients (WP1&2 involve analysis of clinical datasets and have been approved in a separate IRAS application (IRAS Ref 311274)).
WPs 3&4 will take place across four purposively selected hospital sites that serve different populations and where different forms of specialist care are available. Ethnography in the hospitals will note the care practices and decision-making that takes place in different settings. This work will be further informed by interviews with up to 20 clinical staff and up to 15 patients across the sites. WP4 will interview outpatients with CLD to understand how their condition, and life circumstances have affected them and their engagement with healthcare. Interviews will take place with up to 40 outpatients across the four research sites.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SW/0034
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion