ReSPECT Evaluation study
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN11112933 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11112933 |
| Protocol serial number | REGO-2017-1916 |
| Sponsors | University of Warwick, Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust |
| Funder | NIHR HS & DR programme (project number 15/15/09) |
- Submission date
- 03/08/2017
- Registration date
- 05/09/2017
- Last edited
- 01/10/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
A national group of patients, healthcare professionals and organisations have been working together to develop the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) process. It aims to respect patient preferences and respect clinical judgment through shared conversations between a person and their healthcare professionals. One of its principal aims is to make sure people understand the care and treatment options that may be available to them and that may work in a medical emergency, and to allow them to make healthcare professionals aware of their preferences. Although the idea of emergency plans sounds good, experience (e.g. the Liverpool Care Pathway) has taught that it is important to test any changes to the way things are done. Therefore, this project plans to study how, when and why these emergency treatment plans are made and the effects they have on patient care. It will use a mixture of methods for collecting information to achieve this aim. The project will look at people coming into hospital, as this is where most decisions will be made initially. The study will involve researchers watching emergency treatment decisions being made in hospital. Doctors, nurses, patients and family members are interviewed to ask them about their experience. This is done to find out when decisions are made and check they are being made consistently and are ethical. National resuscitation audit data is used to see what effect emergency treatment plans have on the number of people having resuscitation and what happens to them afterwards. The study will also look at how emergency treatment plans affect overall patient care. The overall aim of this study is, through our partnership with key national organisations, this study will produce the essential information to inform the future use of emergency plans throughout the NHS.
Who can participate?
Adult patients involved in the ReSPECT process, relatives of adult patients, GP’s and NHS trust staff members.
What does the study involve?
This study consists of four work packages with a different sample of participants for each one. The first work package involves observations and interviews with clinicians, patients and relatives and the review of patient clinical records involved in the decision-making for the ReSPECT process. The second work package involves collecting routine audit data on a national scale; therefore, participants will not be required to do anything. This work package also involves distributing a survey on a national scale which requires completion from a member of NHS staff, usually a resuscitation officer, responsible submitting national audit data from their hospital. The third work package involves collecting information from participant’s medical record on a selected data collection date whilst they are an in-patient in hospital. The participant will not be required to do anything unless they wish to opt-out of their data being used. Lastly, the fourth work package will require general practitioner participants to take part in a focus group discussion.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no direct benefits or risks with participating.
Where is the study run from?
1. Heartlands Hospital (UK)
2. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust (UK)
3. Queen Elizabeth Hospital (UK)
4. Manchester Royal Infirmary (UK)
5. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UK)
6. Addenbrookes Hospital (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
November 2016 to November 2020
Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health Research (UK)
Who is the main contact?
respect@warwick.ac.uk
Contact information
Public
Warwick Clinical Trials Unit
University of Warwick
Coventry
CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 24761 50478 |
|---|---|
| respect@warwick.ac.uk |
Study information
| Primary study design | Observational |
|---|---|
| Study design | This study will evaluate the ReSPECT process using a mixed-methods approach across four work packages in 6 acute NHS trusts, GP focus groups and using UK wide audit data. |
| Secondary study design | Case series |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Evaluation of the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment |
| Study objectives | The aim of this evaluation study is to determine, in adults admitted to acute NHS hospitals where emergency care and treatment is provided, how, when and why are Recommended Summary Plans for Emergency Care and Treatment plans (ReSPECT) made and what effects do they have on patient care. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Coventry and Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee, 12/06/2017, ref: 17/WM/0134 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Emergency care treatment escalation plans |
| Intervention | This study evaluates the ReSPECT process, it is therefore not an intervention but rather an evaluation of a process already in place. The evaluation is conducted across four work packages with a mixed-methods approach. WP1a: A qualitative study of the decision-making process using observation, mini-interviews with decision-making clinicians and patients/family members to explore how and why judgments are made. WP 1b: To explore the ethical basis and the experience of the patient / family in the decision-making process WP 2: An interrupted time series analysis using repeated measures of process and survival outcomes for in-hospital cardiac arrests covering two years before and two years after ReSPECT implementation WP 3: A descriptive summary of patient characteristics according to ReSPECT treatment choice and evaluation of whether a DNACPR decision, made in the context of an overall treatment plan are independently associated with risk of patient harm. WP 4: Focus groups with General Practitioners to evaluate how ReSPECT is working across the acute/primary care boundary. A description of the context for implementation from regular meeting between sites, researchers and the ReSPECT National Working Group, responsible for developing the process. A narrative synthesis of the key findings of the study and future research priorities from the patient, clinician and policy maker perspective, effectively disseminated to ensure that key messages are integrated into future development work on ReSPECT. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
The study design is a mixed methods evaluation consisting of qualitative and quantitative methods. WP1 and WP4 use qualitative methods; therefore, they do not have a primary outcome measure. |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
WP2: |
| Completion date | 01/11/2020 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Mixed |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 4120 |
| Key inclusion criteria | WP1a: 1. Adult in-patients involved in discussions for the ReSPECT process 2. Relatives of adult patients without capacity, involved in discussions for the ReSPECT process 3. Clinicians completing the ReSPECT process WP2: Anonymised patient audit data from National Cardiac Arrest Audit (NCAA) from all participating UK hospitals WP3: Adult in-patients in the 6 NHS trust hospitals recruited WP4: 1. GPs working in practices served by the 6 NHS trust Sites in WP1 and WP3 2. NHS trust staff and members of the National Working Group that developed ReSPECT attending meetings to share experiences of implementing ReSPECT |
| Key exclusion criteria | WP1: 1. Adult in-patients without a ReSPECT form 2. Neonates, pediatric, day case patients and others refusing consent (WP1a) or who opt-out (WP1b) 3. Clinicians not involved in completing ReSPECT forms WP2: N/A WP3: Paediatrics, Neonates, day case admissions, patients who opt-out WP4: GPs from practices not serving the 6 NHS Trust sites in WP1 and WP3 |
| Date of first enrolment | 08/08/2017 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/05/2020 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centres
Bordesley Green East
Birmingham
B9 5SS
United Kingdom
Coventry
CV2 2DX
United Kingdom
Mindelsohn Way
Birmingham
B15 2TH
United Kingdom
Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9WL
United Kingdom
Basingstoke
RG24 9NA
United Kingdom
Hills Rd
Cambridge
CB2 0QQ
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in repository |
| IPD sharing plan | All essential documentation and study records will be stored by WCTU in conformance with the applicable regulatory requirements and access to stored information will be restricted to authorised personnel. Any paper data forms, field notes, meeting notes, or other documents will be stored in a lockable filing cabinet in a secure room, to which access is restricted to authorised personnel. Electronic data will be stored in a secure area of the computer and an electronic database with access restricted to staff working on the study. Written informed consent will be obtained from participants in WP1a (observations and interviews with clinicians, patients and relatives) and WP4 (focus groups with General Practitioners). WP2 will involve the use of anonymised data collected routinely from NCAA which we have approval from NCAA steering committee to use. WP2 will also involve an annual survey of acute NHS trusts who routinely submit data to NCAA. Completion of the survey indicates their agreement to take part. An opt-out consent process will be used for WP1b and WP3 where participants can choose to opt-out of data being collected from their medical records. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 29/06/2022 | 04/07/2022 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 01/12/2022 | 01/10/2025 | Yes | No | |
| HRA research summary | 28/06/2023 | No | No | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Preprint results | Focus group results in preprint | 12/08/2021 | 20/12/2021 | No | No |
| Protocol file | version 5.0 | 20/06/2019 | 18/10/2022 | No | No |
| Study website | Study website | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Additional files
- ISRCTN11112933 ReSPECT Protocol v5.0 20june19.pdf
- Protocol file
Editorial Notes
01/10/2025: Publication reference added.
18/10/2022: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Uploaded protocol (not peer reviewed)
2. The scientific contact was removed and the plain English summary was updated accordingly.
04/07/2022: Publication reference added.
20/12/2021: Preprint reference added.
03/10/2019: The recruitment end date was changed from 30/09/2019 to 31/05/2020.
12/12/2018: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The recruitment end date was changed from 30/11/2018 to 30/09/2019.
2. The overall trial end date was changed from 01/11/2019 to 01/11/2020.
3. The intention to publish date was changed from 31/12/2019 to 01/11/2021.
4. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Addenbrookes Hospital were added as trial participating centres.
