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PREMIERE

Background

Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) ask patients about their healthcare service experience. It gives them a voice to share their views. PREMs allow healthcare providers (HCPs) to see where care is good, and where they could improve. Vascular surgery is a surgical speciality looking after people's blood vessels (arteries and veins). There is no PREM available for vascular patients. We want to create a PREM for this patient group.

Why is it important

A PREM allows HCPs to record and understand patients’ experiences of their treatment. It gives patients a way to provide feedback on their healthcare experience. PREMs can help HCPs make changes to patients' care, identifying areas of good practice and areas for improvement. The Welsh Government is keen to support the use of PREMs.

Aims

To develop a PREM specific to vascular surgery patients.

Research plan

We will summarise the literature about PREMs in surgery. We will then run focus groups and interviews with patients and staff to create a ‘draft’ PREM for vascular patients in Wales. The ‘draft’ PREM will be translated into Welsh. This stage will be completed before the funding for PREMIERE starts.

In the second phase, a larger number of vascular patients (100-300 depending on how long the ‘draft’ PREM is) from hospitals across Wales and the UK will complete the questionnaire. Statistical tests will look at the results to see if the questionnaire works well to capture patients’ experiences. Based on these results, small changes will be made to make the ‘draft’ PREM better. This will make sure the ‘final PREM’ is ready for widespread use in Wales and beyond.

Patient and Public Involvement

The patients' experience team at CAVUHB has reviewed our patients’ materials. Our research team includes PPI co-applicants (DC and AH). DC a double amputee who has had many vascular operations. DC has experience raising awareness about vascular disease through public forums like the Limbless Association Charity and BBC Radio Wales. AH has issues with her leg due to smoking and had a keyhole operation to help with that. She had some problems after the procedure This is her first time as a PPI representative. DC and AH supported our research design and will be steering group members. Also, our research focuses on giving patients a voice and will include patients across Wales. A diverse group of patients will be involved across all stages of the PREM development.

Dissemination

To reach a broader audience, we will share our findings through various platforms such as national and international conferences, medical journal publications, press releases, social media campaigns, and infographics. CI has experience in engaging national and international media and dissemination on radio and TV and many members are active on social media.

Study details

  • Short title: (PREMIERE): PREMs In vascular SurgERy Enhancement Study
  • Full title of study: Patient-Reported Experience Measures in Vascular Surgery Enhancement Study
  • Study design: A sequential mixed methods design will be employed. Step 1 will include gathering qualitative data through focus groups with healthcare professionals (HCPs), as well as interviews and focus groups with vascular surgery patients who are receiving in-patient vascular surgery care.
    The initial focus of this design will be to develop a draft PREM. Following the qualitative phase, a quantitative phase (STEP 2) will be conducted to validate the draft PREM through psychometric testing, which will involve administering the draft PREM to a similar diverse sample of vascular surgery patients in Wales.
  • Co-Chief Investigator: Co-Chief Investigators: Mr David Bosanquet and Mrs Kathleen Withers
  • Sponsor: Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
  • REC approval: TBC
  • IRAS: TBC
  • Funding: Internal funding from the Welsh Value in Health Centre
  • Trial registration: TBC
  • Study protocol: TBC