Mesothelioma patients’ experiences of follow-up care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mesothelioma patients’ experiences of follow-up care across three NHS trusts: Interview Study
IRAS ID
254909
Contact name
Catherine Henshall
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Brookes University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Malignant pleural mesothelioma’s incidence has risen over the past decade and will remain a global health concern for years due to previously unregulated asbestos use. The number of new mesothelioma cases in the UK per annum is relatively small (~ 2700), compared to lung cancer (~47,000), but people from both patient groups often enter the same follow-up pathways, due to an assumption that their care needs are the same. However, a recent systematic review compared the psychological care needs of patients with mesothelioma and advanced lung cancer identified the need for separate assessment and care pathways to be developed to address some of the experiences that may lead to distress for mesothelioma patients. This study will seek to explore in more depth what the mesothelioma services ‘look like’ across the three NHS Trusts, how patients’ experience the services they are offered and what could be done to improve the patient experience for mesothelioma patients entering the follow-up stages of their care.
Twenty mesothelioma patients receiving follow-up care will be interviewed to explore in depth their experiences of their follow up care pathways. Participants aged 18 years and over will be recruited through Mesothelioma/Lung Cancer Specialists from each trust. Participants will be asked to provide written informed consent and complete a short demographic form, before taking part in a semi-structured interview.
Three consultation meetings will be held with key stakeholders (Mesothelioma UK Network Members, mesothelioma patients, local commissioners) to discuss the findings and to enable the researchers to make co-produced recommendations for policy and practice and to propose a preferred, patient focused, mesothelioma follow-up service that is evidence-based, collaborative and inclusive of the needs of mesothelioma patients.
Ideas and recommendations generated will be used to inform best practice and to implement clinical standards across the NHS.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0022
Date of REC Opinion
9 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion