REDUCE- Carbon for Patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Randomised controlled trial to explore knowledge, views and behaviours surrounding inhaler selection and whether the carbon footprint of inhalers is important to patients
IRAS ID
332630
Contact name
Thomas Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The NHS contributes substantially to the UKs carbon footprint with an estimated 23 million tonnes gCO2Eq per year, 3% of which comes from pMDIs. There are a number of alternative inhalers, such as DPIs, which do not use propellant and therefore have a significantly lower carbon footprint. There is a call to move towards greener inhalers as part of the NHS long term plan for sustainability, to reduce the carbon footprint and therefore the environmental impact and help protect the health of our patients today and in the future.
We have designed a online questionnaire which should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. It includes questions to determine attitudes towards and current knowledge of the carbon footprint of inhalers and whether participants feel this is something that should be included in discussions around inhaler choice and how this information is best presented. There are also 2 very simple case scenarios which are not a test of knowledge, but which will assess thoughts on inhaler switching with participants being automatically randomised into one of two groups (one with the carbon footprint of each inhaler, and the other without). We will also assess current inhaler recycling practices. All inpatients, outpatients, staff and visitors attending primary and secondary care sites across the Wessex Asthma Network, who regularly use an inhaler for a diagnosed respiratory condition will be invited to take part.
We are looking to explore knowledge, views and behaviours surrounding inhaler selection and in particular whether knowledge of the carbon footprint of inhalers is important to patients when discussing their inhaled treatments as well as to better understand how carbon footprint information should be provided to patients. This will potentially facilitate a drive to greener inhaler prescribing practices whilst further empowering patients to have an active role in decisions around their inhaler treatments.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0310
Date of REC Opinion
13 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion