Models of Support for Moderate Needs in Older People (MSMOP) v2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Models of Support for Moderate needs in Older People (MSMOP)Survey (including testing and piloting). Note that this application is the survey element of a wider study being run by LSE. Margaret Blake is the chief investigator of the element sub-contracted to Ipsos MORI which is the subject of this REC application. The overall study has a Chief Investigator at LSE (Jose-Luis Fernandez).
IRAS ID
298939
Contact name
Margaret Blake
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Ipsos MORI
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This application is for the cognitive questionnaire testing and pilot phase of a larger 48-month project, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The main study will provide independent evidence for government and councils about (i) the circumstances of older people with moderate care needs and their carers, (ii) the support they receive (iii) the consequences for their wellbeing of different support and
(iv) the implications of different care arrangements for costs and value for money of the care system.Ipsos MORI have been contracted to assist the London School of Economics and Political Science in the collection and analysis of data for this study. This application concerns the element of the research being carried out by Ipsos MORI, including cognitive testing and piloting of the survey.
When conducting large and complex surveys such as this one, it is important that study protocols, sampling assumptions, participant facing materials and survey questions are well tested before embarking on the main study. This is to ensure that the results of the main survey are robust and that any changes needed are made before the main study. For this research project cognitive testing and piloting before starting the mainstage survey are particularly important because the survey involves older people with care needs, and relies on assumptions about recruitment into the study via local authorities as well as assumptions about the attrition between the two waves (i.e. the proportion of wave 1 respondent who agree to take part at wave 2). The cognitive testing and pilot will also look at the survey content which can be covered in interview.
Cognitive testing is a method derived from cognitive psychology to explore how people go about understanding and responding to survey questions. It is a standard technique widely used in survey development to ensure that the survey questions used in the main fieldwork are valid and measure what the researcher intended.
Piloting is a method by which a survey is run with a smaller number of participants to test all aspects of the survey process. Ideally it will be set up in a way which is as similar as possible to the mainstage fieldwork. Given the current situation with coronavirus some flexibility will be needed for the pilot to ensure it is carried out in a safe way in line with COVID restrictions.
After the pilot, the funder, advised by the study advisory group, will decide whether the study should continue to the mainstage.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/WM/0145
Date of REC Opinion
10 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion