Training programme to support clinicians
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Testing of a training programme to support clinicians with patients attending rheumatology clinics
IRAS ID
292967
Contact name
Kanta Kumar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 26 days
Research summary
COVID-19 challenge highlights yet again the health inequalities in the health service. The need is greater now to engage with patients from ethnic backgrounds than ever before.
Before the COVID-19 phase our recent study, conducted in seven centres across the UK, reported that rheumatology professionals involve patients of South Asian origin less in the decisions made in rheumatology clinics than White patients. This means, that potentially, patients of South Asian origin benefit less than White patients from their hospital appointments. Healthcare professionals report ‘poor consultations’ with patients of South Asian origin due to a lack of training in how to address people’s cultural needs and specifically, rheumatology professionals report low confidence and knowledge about people of South Asian origin. Effective interaction with patients of South Asian origin in the early stages of the disease is important to optimise disease management and long-term adherence to medication. South Asian people are the largest minority ethnic group in the UK (people with ancestral origins from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka). It is important to gain insight and develop approaches that can support people with this background. Our work to date demonstrates a widening gap in health inequalities in health service provision for patients of South Asian origin attending rheumatology services.
Part one of the project was to develop a training programme. That is being developed between the research and Advisory teams.
The aim of this project is to: test our training programme being developed for healthcare professionals that incorporates cultural skills to tailor rheumatology education with shared decision-making for patients of South Asian origin; the testing of the training programme will be in a multi-site study to evaluate the impact of the training programme on healthcare professionals’ behaviour.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/EE/0100
Date of REC Opinion
29 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion