The Cambridge Conversation Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Cambridge Conversation Study
IRAS ID
291443
Contact name
Stephen Barclay
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & University of Cambridge
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
A096660, CUH R&D ref. number
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Frailty is the most common dying trajectory, yet families of frail patients are less satisfied with their relative’s end-of-life care than families of cancer patients, and family caregivers feel burdened. The World Health Organisation states better palliative care for older people is an urgent priority.
Supporting people in understanding and sharing their values and treatment preferences is considered central to good end-of-life care. This is termed advance care planning (ACP). A growing body of evidence suggests current ACP conversations do not meet frail older people’s needs.
Frailty can be characterised by frailty crises, such as an unplanned hospital admission. Such crises might be expected to bring the experience of living with frailty to the fore, so this study will focus on individuals who have recently had a frailty crisis.
This study will explore the experiences of people who have had a frailty crisis, how such individuals achieve a good quality of life all the way until death, and how conversations with healthcare professionals, including ACP, shape these experiences. An experience-based co-design approach will be used to collaborate with users and providers to improve conversations with healthcare professionals following a frailty crisis.
In Phase One we will interview frail older people who have recently been admitted to hospital. We will follow them up over 12-18 months and also interview a relative/friend and members of their hospital and community healthcare team. These data will be used to develop a film of the experiences of patient and their relatives/friends, and a “logic model” which describes how conversations with healthcare professionals shape experiences of living with frailty.
In Phase Two this film and logic model will be discussed with users and providers at focus groups and a stakeholder event and used as the basis to co-design an intervention prototype to improve care.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
23/IEC08/0032
Date of REC Opinion
14 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion