The Liver project: The life-cycle of service reconfiguration
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Implementation of the Liver project: The life-cycle of service reconfiguration from participants’ perspectives.
IRAS ID
185823
Contact name
Lucy Sitton-Kent
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, days
Research summary
Liver disease is the third leading cause of premature death in the UK and is rising. The majority of liver disease results from lifestyle-related risk factors including excess alcohol use, obesity/type 2 diabetes and intravenous drug use, and is therefore preventable. Diagnosis is often missed or delayed. East Midland Academic Health Science Network’s (EMAHSN)Liver Project(13/EM/0123) is implementing a community-based liver pathway using a new, non-invasive diagnostic imaging procedure (Fibroscan®) that enables earlier diagnosis and treatment. The pathway focuses on investigating patients with risk factors rather than depending on unreliable liver function blood tests. The testing, diagnosis and some intervention is happening within the community setting at several sites within the East Midlands and feedback from participating patients has been very positive. The unique nature of the Liver project(13/EM/0123) is the movement of the testing from secondary to primary care, integrating with other existing care provision such as alcohol and obesity community services and the commissioning of the pathway.
This research proposes to investigate the work done by all those involved in this pathway reconfiguration from the initial innovators, the project team, clinical staff, the patients, public health colleagues and commissioners. We want to gain information to understand the process of having the idea, translating that idea into a patient pathway, initiating and implementing a project, engaging and enrolling colleagues and patients and finally the discussions and decision making processes of the commissioners as they make sense of their options and look to embed the pathway into business as usual.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0789
Date of REC Opinion
29 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion