Research Design

Catherine MurdochHealth Services Research GroupThe Robert Gordon University

Partners: Shared Care Scotland Funded: Community Fund

Aims of the study

The main aims of this study are to:

1. Investigate the role of respite care for

a)children with complex needs and their carers

b)adults with learning disabilities and their

carers

c)people with multiple sclerosis and their carers

d)people with mental health problems and their

carers

e) frail older people and their carers

2. Identify the most appropriate outcome measures for use with the above groups in the evaluation of respite care

Research Design

• Literature search and review

• An interview survey of carers and the people they care for

Literature search and review

• Grey literature (material which is semi published, not formally published or available commercially)

• Published literature

Grey literature

• SIGLE

• Contact universities

• Visited organisations

Published literature

• Databases searched (medline, cinahl, psyclit, ASSIA)

• Key terms used (respite, short breaks, carer(s), caregiver(s), etc)

• Tabulated

Interview survey

• Ethical approval

• Development of information leaflets

• Development of interview schedule (including the respite checklist)

Recruitment

Identification of key organisations

Identification of key people

Visits to day centres, RRT, Feds

Interview survey

Interviews

Semi-structured interviews with all participants

In addition completion of

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

Nottingham Health Profile (NHP)

Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ)

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

• Anxiety:I can sit at ease and feel relaxed– definitely

– usually

– not often

– not at all

• Depression:I look forward with enjoyment to things– as much as I ever did

– rather less than I used to

– definitely less than I used to

– hardly at all

Nottingham Health Profile

• I’m tired all the time yes no

• I have pain at night yesno

• I sleep badly at night yes no

Social Support Questionnaire

• Whom could you really count on to help you out in a crisis situation, even though they would have to go out of their way to do so?No one 1)

2)

3)

How satisfied? Very satisfied through to very dissatisfied

Interviews

• 60 people interviewed

• Diverse range of participants

Interviews

Problems with pairs

• interviewee may not have a carer• participants ‘pair’ did not wish to

participate• carer indicating the person they care for

would be unable to take part

Interview survey: Analysis

• Transcriptions of interviews

• Data input into the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS)

• Summaries of interviews

• Collation of quotations

Reflection on methods

• Value of interviews

• Differing understanding of services

Thank you to all who took part in the interviews and assisted with the recruitment of participants