The PAD2 study v01

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Parent-administered at home dressing changes in paediatric burns aftercare: Experience-based co-design of NHS service guidance and support for parents and carers

• IRAS ID

  320960

• Contact name

  Dean Thompson

• Contact email

  d.m.thompson@bham.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Birmingham

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 9 months, 27 days

• Research summary

  Research aims
  We will design guidance on how children’s burns services can support parents and carers to change dressings for their child at home. This will involve:
  - Working with parents and staff to decide what the guidance should look like, and;
  - Testing whether the guidance is practical and acceptable

  Background
  Paediatric burns are one of the most common injuries worldwide. Nearly 7,000 children with burn injuries are admitted to hospitals in the UK every year. Children and parents experience anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and reduced quality of life. Following a burn injury, aftercare involves appointments for wound management, including dressing changes. Effective dressing helps children’s wounds heal faster, reduce pain and prevent infection. However, children often say that travelling to hospital for dressing changes is among the most distressing experiences of their burn injury. In most children’s burns services in the UK, parents and carers may opt to administer simple dressing changes at home. This has become increasingly common during COVID-19. Research shows that parents generally want to be involved in their child’s care by changing dressings provided they receive support and reassurance to manage the practical and emotional challenges this involves. However, we do not know what this support should consist of.

  Research design
  As part of a process called ‘experience-based co-design’, we will:
  1. Observe and interview staff (e.g. nurses, doctors, play specialists) about how they support parents and carers to change their child’s dressings.
  2. Interview parents and collect video recordings about their experiences of dressing changes.
  3. Hold meetings and working groups with parents, carers and staff to decide what should be included in guidance for children’s burns services.
  4. Test this guidance in three services to ensure it is practical and acceptable to parents, carers and staff.

• REC name

  North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/NW/0018

• Date of REC Opinion

  6 Mar 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion