Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on Research in Care Homes

Evaluating the Impact of COVID-19 on Research in Care Homes

During the COVID-19 (corona virus) pandemic the research arena has had to rapidly adapt and change in order to facilitate and deliver research. The UK (United Kingdom) government and Public Health England have stressed the importance of such research to find solutions to treating, preventing and stopping the spread of COVID-19. Due to national and international 'lock down restrictions' delivering research in care home settings has become even more challenging. The adaptations to conducting consultations have relied heavily on the use of technology, for example video calling, telephone, email, and teleconferencing. It is suggested that the use of technology in care home settings is already a barrier to effective research delivery.

Nevertheless, as care home residents are a vulnerable group, it is critical to include these groups in research in order to enable improved and evidence-based care and their access to new and emerging treatments.

This study aims to assess the opinions and experiences of key stakeholders to identify barriers, and enable better facilitation of research in these settings during and post pandemic.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Covid19
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Interview; Other: survey

Detailed Description

This two phase project will use a mixed methodology.

Phase one will involve mixed methods surveys. One will be completed by care home residents and the other will be completed by research delivery staff and care home staff.

Phase two will involve qualitative interviews with each of these groups to enable better insight into their views and opinions on research in this area.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 7

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
    • The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: ADULT; OLDER_ADULT; CHILD
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Any staff member working/volunteering in a care home, research staff, residents of care homes, relatives of care home residents, all across the West Midlands are eligible to take part in this research project.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Any resident of a care home in the West Midlands
• Any relative/friend of a care home resident in the West Midlands
• Any staff member or volunteer working in care home in the West Midlands
• Any researcher undertaking research in a care home in the West Midlands (during the pandemic or proposed during the pandemic period)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who are unable to give Informed Consent
• Individuals who lack capacity

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Online Survey; Online survey	Other: survey; Online survey
Interviews	Other: Interview; Interview

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Acceptability of vaccine studies in the care home setting through feedback questionnaire with loose themes and no unique measurements.	To inform the design and delivery of vaccine studies in the care home setting, ensuring they are acceptable by key stakeholders	6 months
Acceptability of vaccine studies in the care home setting through feedback interview with loose themes and no unique measurements	To inform the design and delivery of vaccine studies in the care home setting, ensuring they are acceptable by key stakeholders	6 months
Acceptability of new ways of delivering research through explorative interview with loose themes and no unique measurements	To inform and assess the acceptability of new ways of delivering research in care home settings, guiding changes and implementation of new ways of working moving forward	6 months
Acceptability of new ways of delivering research through explorative questionnaire with loose themes and no unique measurements	To inform and assess the acceptability of new ways of delivering research in care home settings, guiding changes and implementation of new ways of working moving forward	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kelly Hard, National Institute for Health Research, United Kingdom

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): April 14, 2021
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): July 30, 2022
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): July 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 18, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 18, 2021
• First Posted (ACTUAL): January 20, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 10, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 9, 2022
• Last Verified: November 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Infections; Respiratory Tract Infections; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Lung Diseases; COVID-19
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021COV114

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No