The ExacQual Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An interview study exploring COPD patients and their carers experiences, expectations and understanding of exacerbations before and after the emergence of COVID-19 (The ExacQual Study).
IRAS ID
269862
Contact name
Michael Crooks
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
AstraZeneca UK
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease which causes sufferers to experience breathlessness, cough and phlegm. People with COPD often suffer episodes where their symptoms worsen over a short period of time. These episodes, termed exacerbations of COPD by clinicians, often require treatment with medications and are a common reason for emergency department attendance and hospital admission. People who suffer frequent exacerbations tend to have more symptoms, have worse quality of life, deteriorate faster over time and are at higher risk of dying. Exacerbations are therefore very important events for people with COPD and are also a very personal experience. We know from previous research that people with COPD do not always seek medical help during exacerbations and the likelihood of seeking help can vary between individuals.
We aim to improve our understanding of how people with COPD and the people who care for them feel about exacerbations, including their experiences, expectations and understanding of these events. We would like to understand what differences there may be between people who have frequent exacerbations requiring medical help and those who have exacerbations for which they don’t seek medical help. We will ask about how COVID-19 has affected their experience of exacerbations.
We will do this by performing interviews with up to 40 people across England with COPD and where appropriate, their carers.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/PR/0731
Date of REC Opinion
11 Dec 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion