Research Participants Wanted: Exploring Experiences of ‘Loss’ after Critical Care

Research Participants Wanted - Exploring Experiences of Loss after Critical Care poster

Rehabilitation helps people recover after they have received critical care in hospital. Despite this, many people do not get this support. This means they may lose a chance to recover as much as possible. However, it can be very hard to predict how much they might have recovered if they had received this care. This uncertainty makes it difficult for the law to provide any financial compensation (redress) for these people.

This research aims to understand how people who have had critical care feel about this issue. Knowing their views will mean the researcher, Dr Victoria Moore, can find out how well the law reflects peoples' experience of a ‘loss of chance to recover.

Victoria is looking for participants in England who:

• are at least 18 years old
• have spent 72 hours or more receiving intensive care (also known as critical care) within an acute hospital setting in England since January 2013
• were discharged from the hospital to your home
• either didn’t receive rehabilitation care after leaving hospital, or had to wait over six months to receive rehabilitation care
• are willing to talk about your experiences and attend an in-person workshop

Participants will be invited to attend a one-day workshop, with lunch and refreshments provided. The workshop will involve:

1. An artist-led group session
2. Participation in focus group interviews

With the guidance of an artist, participants will be invited to create artwork that expresses their experience of care after their hospital discharge. After this, they will take part in a focus group interview led by the researcher, where we’ll ask questions about the artwork, and their experiences.

In the afternoon, the researcher will give a short presentation on the legal concept of ‘loss of chance to recover’. Participants will have the chance to ask questions about the presentation before the focus group begins again. These discussions will explore participants’ views on this legal concept of ‘loss of chance to recover’, and how it compares with their own personal experiences.

How can I find out more about this research project?

If you are interested in hearing more about this project, please contact Dr Victoria Moore via email: Victoria.moore@manchester.ac.uk