Online Stroke Peer Support: Feasibility
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Online Peer Support Groups for Stroke Survivors: A Feasibility Study
IRAS ID
290757
Contact name
Lucy Kift
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Plymouth
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 27 days
Research summary
This is a feasibility study using a pilot randomised control (RCT) design, which aims to evaluate the feasibility of a subsequent RCT study investigating the efficacy of online peer support groups for stroke survivors. The purpose of the project is to assess if a fully powered RCT study can be conducted. The study will gather means, standard deviations and intracluster correlations from the measures used to calculate the power and the number of participants for the future RCT. Data on the methodological strengths and weaknesses of measures used, group randomisation, recruitment and attrition rates and intervention delivery will also be collected. Recruitment will be facilitated by stroke clinics in an NHS community stroke team setting. Participants will be randomly assigned to a 6-week peer support group or a waiting list control. All participants will complete measures of psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire-12: GHQ-12), activities of daily functioning (Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living: NEADL), wellbeing (The Short-Form Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale: SWEMWBS), perceived social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support: MSPSS) and quality of life (Stroke Specific Quality of Life-12: SSQOL-12) at three time points (baseline, endpoint and two-month follow up). Measures will be delivered either by sending a link for participants to complete online (via Qualtrics) or over the phone. Waiting list control participants will be given the opportunity to attend a peer support group, following their research participation. Participants will be randomised into each group using a simple randomisation method as evidenced in the literature (Kim & Shin, 2014), through Excel. Groups will run for six weeks, and be an hour and a half. The content of the groups will be based on the Rebuilding Your Life After Stroke Book by Morris et al. (2017). Groups will be run via Microsoft Team, with a maximum of ten group attendees.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0170
Date of REC Opinion
28 Sep 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion