Rheumatology care in immigrants from Africa; a qualitative study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Rheumatology care in immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa; a qualitative study of the patients' perspective
IRAS ID
261249
Contact name
James Galloway
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King’s College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
The prevalence of rheumatological conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, in Sub-Saharan Africa is higher than previously thought. Rheumatoid arthritis leads to joint damage with significant morbidity. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment is key to preventing this joint damage. Healthcare for rheumatological conditions is limited in Sub-Saharan Africa due to a lack of trained professionals and difficulties with sourcing and monitoring therapy. About 1.2 million people who have immigrated from sub-Saharan Africa live in the UK, and subsequently receive healthcare from the NHS. Evidence suggests there are significant barriers to immigrants in receiving healthcare in the UK. In order to provide the best treatment for immigrants with rheumatological conditions we need to understand their previous experiences and how we can improve their transition of care to the NHS setting. There are no publihed studies to date which have asked the most important stakeholders their views on this; the patients themselves. Therefore, we plan to perform a qualitative study asking:
1. How does healthcare for rheumatological conditions differ between sub-Saharan Africa and the UK?
2. How can we improve the NHS rheumatology healthcare system to help in the transition of care for migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa?REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0271
Date of REC Opinion
30 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion