Waiting for heart transplant: An IPA study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Experiences, beliefs and coping whilst waiting for heart transplant: An interpretative phenomenological study.
IRAS ID
224868
Contact name
Sarah Wilson
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 15 days
Research summary
Title: Experiences whilst waiting for heart transplant.
Background
Heart transplant is an advanced treatment considered for people with end stage heart failure whose lives may be at risk. Once accepted for heart transplant, people must wait an unknown length of time for a suitable donor heart. During this time, a person must tolerate: worry about their family; deteriorating health; uncertainty about the future; having less control over their lives and the concept of losing one’s heart and receiving another from someone who has died. Little research has been conducted into how people experience this waiting process. Such research may be important in order to inform intervention to improve quality of life and patient experience during this wait period.Aims
This study aims to explore people’s experiences of waiting for heart transplant to gain a better understanding of the challenges they encounter, their beliefs around transplant and their experience of coping during this time.Methods
The study will recruit people 18 or over who are on the waiting list for a heart transplant at the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Service. People interested in taking part who have given their consent will take part in a semi-structured interview. This will take part at the Golden Jubilee Hospital, where the service is based and will last up to 1 hour. The interviews will be recorded, anonymously transcribed and then analysed using a qualitative research approach known as interpretative phenomenological analysis.Applications
This research may allow teams to develop interventions for people waiting for heart transplant to decrease distress and improve quality of life during the wait period.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
17/WS/0136
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion