The LYNC study version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving health outcomes for young people with long term conditions: the role of digital communication in current and future patient-clinician communication for NHS providers of specialist clinical services (Long term, Young people, Networked digital communication technology, Clinical communication: The LYNCs study)
IRAS ID
147967
Contact name
Frances E Griffiths
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Warwick
Research summary
Our research aims to 1) evaluate the impacts of digital clinical communications for young people living with long term conditions and to 2) analyse critically the provision and use of digital clinical communications by NHS specialist care providers. We will study digital clinical communication between NHS clinicians and young people (age 16-24 years): what works for whom, where, when and why, how much does it cost, what is the impact and what are the ethical and safety issues? Examples of clinical communication include: adjustment of medication, monitoring health conditions and providing test results. We focus on young people with long term conditions who require specialist health care for their condition. These young people often disengage from health services and this endangers their long term adult health. Unofficially, many NHS clinicians and young people are already communicating through digital media. This project will learn from these innovators. We do not specify digital communication technologies as these are rapidly changing and we will study what is in use. Current examples are email, Voice over Internet Protocol (e.g. Skype), text messages, patient portals and social media. The project includes seeking advice from young people about the research and the study of approximately 20 specialist clinics from across the UK. Data will be collected through observation, interviews with staff, patients and carers, and examination of clinic policy and guidelines. Clinics will provide summary data on health outcomes such as emergency admissions and cost data. Analysed and synthesised data will be presented to a consensus conference of national policy makers. We expect this research will prompt a rethink in the NHS about the way digital communication is used for clinical communication and the implications of this for information governance including clinical data security and confidentiality.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/0066
Date of REC Opinion
5 Mar 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion