SHINE Study: Developing an intervention for Safe Hospital INsulin usE

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  SHINE Study: Developing an intervention for safe hospital insulin use for older/frail adults with diabetes undergoing a surgical admission to hospital.

• IRAS ID

  334058

• Contact name

  Kirsty Winkley

• Contact email

  Kirsty.Winkley@kcl.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  King's College London

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 0 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Diabetes is a long-term health condition affecting how the body regulates glucose. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, enables the body to use glucose and convert this into energy. Insulin injections, usually self-administered, are an important part of treatment for many people with diabetes. Having good blood glucose levels before, during and after surgery, can reduce chances of infection, complications and longer hospital stay.

  Insulin is considered a high-risk medication due to the high level of harm that can occur in case of an error (for example dangerously low or high blood glucose levels).
  Unfortunately, insulin related errors in hospital are common. Nationally, 2 in 5 inpatients treated with insulin experience an error. Many healthcare professionals feel they do not know enough about insulin. People with diabetes can feel anxious about their insulin treatment in hospital. Older/frail adults have potential characteristics which increase the risk for insulin error.

  This study will contribute towards the development phase of an intervention to improve insulin safety during a surgical admission to hospital. The population of interest are older/frail people with diabetes (and their family member/carer) with experience of a surgical admission and NHS staff looking after them.

  This study aims to:
  • Explore and understand the needs of patients and staff regarding hospital insulin safety and learning from insulin related incidents and how to improve patient experiences of hospital insulin safety
  • Identify how to best support the insulin safety review process in hospital to strengthen hospital insulin safety and prevent insulin errors

  To carry out this study, a co-design approach will be used, bringing staff and patients together in the process, over the course of 1 year at a single NHS hospital. A range of data collection methods such as observations, semi-structured interviews and co-design workshops with staff and patients will be used.

• REC name

  East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  24/EM/0022

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Feb 2024

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion