The DIGEST Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Qualitative StuDy Exploring the Impact of GastrointEstinal SympToms and Malnutrition on the Daily Lives of Patients Living with Neuroendocrine Tumours (DIGEST)
IRAS ID
324245
Contact name
Elizabeth Bradley
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Due to the nature of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and the treatments used to manage them, many people living with them experience troublesome bowel symptoms such as diarrhoea and weight loss or malnutrition. Current research suggests that people who experience these issues have worse outcomes and poorer quality of life. However, there is currently no research that captures the experiences of people living with these symptoms, in their own words.
This study aims to explore the impact that living with these symptoms has on the daily lives of people living with NETs. The aim is to conduct semi-structured interviews exploring the key concerns of patients, including; how their symptoms impact on their daily activities, how they manage their symptoms, what helps them to cope and what challenges do they face in the management of these issues.
Any adult patients with a NET diagnosis, attending the Birmingham NET centre and who are experiencing troublesome bowel symptoms and/ or weight loss will be eligible to participate in the interviews. The interviews will be recorded then transcribed and anonymised. The transcripts will then be analysed to look for common themes and differences in the opinions and experiences of all of the participants.
It is hoped that understanding more about this could help to improve the services and treatments available to help manage these symptoms.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EM/0116
Date of REC Opinion
10 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion