The Walkability Post Stroke Study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The Walkability Post Stroke Study: developing a patient-reported outcome measure of walking ability for use in stroke clinical trials

  • IRAS ID

    177075

  • Contact name

    Jeremy Charles Hobart

  • Contact email

    jeremy.hobart@plymouth.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Plymouth Hospitals NHS trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    The aim of this study is to develop a self-report questionnaire for measuring walking ability after stroke. The aim is also that this “Walkability” patient-reported outcome measure (PRO) satisfies scientific and regulatory (US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency) criteria for use as a primary outcome measure in stroke clinical trials. The study has two stages.

    Stage 1 is qualitative research (interviews) in people with walking problems after stroke. The aim of this qualitative research, which builds on existing market research interviews and ongoing literature examinations, is to develop a questionnaire for reliability and validity testing (Stage 2). Potential participants will be identified by the Plymouth branch of the Stroke Association from their database, and from Derriford Hospital records. Three rounds of qualitative research, each round consisting of n˜30 interviews, are anticipated to produce a final version of the questionnaire.

    Stage 2 is a postal survey of the final version of the post stroke Walkability PRO, administered with other scales, to a large sample of stroke survivors. Participants will be identified from two cohorts of stroke survivors: the Plymouth branch of the stroke association, and from Derriford Hospital records. Questionnaire response data will be analysed using state-of-the art methods for testing scale's reliability and validity (Rasch Measurement Theory, RMT). In order to estimate the approach sample size needed for the survey we will conduct preliminary surveys of two scales in the two cohorts above.

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/NW/0198

  • Date of REC Opinion

    26 Feb 2015

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion