The impact of ambulatory emergency care on experience of stakeholders.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A participatory action research project to assess and strenghten the impact of an ambulatory emergency care unit on the experience of service users and staff.
IRAS ID
142978
Contact name
DESIREE DEMINGO
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Salford university
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Traditionally, most patients presenting to hospital with emergency medical conditions were admitted for inpatient treatment, which led to an increase in the demand for hospital beds. This combined with the reduction in resources due to the global financial crises, caused an unsustainable situation and change was unavoidable. Evidence emerged that these patients can be safely and effectively managed without the need for hospital admission, so a number of National Health Service (NHS) hospitals implemented Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC). This refers to the safe and effective management of patients with emergency conditions on the same day, hence avoiding hospital admission. The focus of this participatory action research study is to evaluate and strengthen the impact of AEC on the experience of all service users and staff. It will explore whether the introduction of an Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU), at a NHS trust in the Northwest of England, improved the quality of urgent care from the perspectives of service users and ACU staff, whilst simultaneously implementing and evaluating any changes to practice required. All patients, carers, staff and GPs who use the service will be able to participate, with the only exclusions being acute confusion, patients who are medically unstable and patients who are unable to give consent on their own behalf. The research will be carried out over a period of six months and patients and carers will be invited to attend one 1:1 interview, and ACU staff and GPs will be invited to a series of three focus groups of which they can attend any one or all three, if it suits them. Intermitted non-participant observation will also be carried out on ACU. This project is part of my professional doctorate studies, which is funded by the R&D department of the hospital where the study is carried out.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0114
Date of REC Opinion
6 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion