06/03/2021
Heart Failure Patients Wanted for Research Project
For further information on the research project, please contact Laeticia Parker by email l.parker4@edu.salford.ac.uk
Volunteer Information Sheet
Project Title: Exploring the relationship between personality and behavioural change techniques amongst heart failure patients
Name of researcher: Laeticia Parker
I would like to invite you to take part in a research study. This research is being undertaken by the University of Salford in help of obtaining an MSc Clinical Exercise Physiology degree. Before you decide whether to consent to taking part or not, you need to understand why the research is being done and what it would involve for yourself. Please take time to read the following information carefully. Ask questions if anything you read is not clear or you would like more information, by contacting the researcher on the details provided at the end of this information sheet.
What is the purpose of the study?
Heart Failure is one of the most prevalent disease worldwide and is increasing due to the ageing population and longer survival rates from those who suffer with myocardial infarction. Heart failure has significant detrimental impacts on the NHS due to cost of treatment, so exercise programs should be used alongside medication to help manage heart failure. Many individuals who take part in cardiac rehabilitation programs are often adherence, so identifying behavioural techniques that help them stay on track in these programs is vital. Therefore, this study aims to assess what role personality types play in the preference of certain behavioural change techniques, so practitioners can used preferred techniques with certain patients to ensure they adhere to programs.
Why have I been invited to participate?
You have been invited to participate as you are diagnosed with heart failure. This study requires data collection from several heart failure patients across Greater Manchester.
Do I have to take part?
Your participation in the study is optional and you are free to withdraw from the study at any time without giving reason, or any prejudice against you. This can occur from the beginning of data collection until the point where the research report is submitted for marking. Before taking part, you will be asked to sign a consent form to say that you have read and fully understood the information sheet and had the opportunity to reflect upon it and ask any questions. You will be given a period of at least 48 hours to read the information sheet and decide whether you wish to participate in the research. If you decide take part, you can do this by returning the consent form.
What will happen if I take part?
You will be asked to complete two questionnaires, The Big Five Factory Inventory that measures personality and a quantitative survey that asks you to rate 15 different behavioural change techniques from 1-5. These should take ten minutes to complete and the researcher will be at hand to help with completion of the questionnaire. After the researcher has evaluated the results from those questionnaires you will be asked to attend a one-off focus group interview where you will be with 7 other individuals. You will be asked questions around certain behavioural change techniques and your personality and asked to express your views around the topic. These interviews will be recorded to allow the practitioner to go over what was said in the session for in depth analysis. Once the session is finished you are free to leave.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
This study poses few risks or disadvantages. The completion of the questionnaires and focus groups can take place online for your convenience. The questionnaires explore personality and behaviour change techniques, therefore are very unlikely to cause distress. All information will be kept confidential and participants attending the focus groups will be made aware of this. If any help is needed, it would be easily accessible.
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
We cannot promise the study will help you, but the information we get from the study will help to increase the understanding of behavioural change techniques that are related to personality and if differing personality traits prefer certain behaviour change techniques. This may be used to inform future research, policy, or practice to maximise cardiac rehabilitation with heart failure patients.
What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you should ask to contact to the researcher, Laeticia Parker. University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom, M6 6PU,
Email: l.parker4@edu.salford.ac.uk who will do their best to answer your questions.
If the matter is still not resolved, please forward your concerns to Professor Andrew Clark, Chair of the Health Research Ethical Approval Panel, G16 Peel Building, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom, M6 6PU. Telephone 0161 295 4109. Email: a.clark@salford.ac.uk
In the extremely unlikely event that you are harmed as a result of taking part in this research project, there are no special compensation arrangements. If harmed due to someone’s negligence, then you have grounds for a legal action but you may have to pay for it.
Will taking part in the study be kept confidential?
All information which is collected about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential, and any information which leaves the university will have your name, and any other identifiable information removed so that you cannot be recognised. During the research all participants will be provided with a research code, which will be used on all questionnaires, known only to the researcher, to ensure that their identity remains anonymous and confidential. A master list of names and corresponding codes, will be held on a password protected computer of the researcher, with only them having access. All anonymised data will be transferred to the University of Salford on an encrypted USB device. All consent forms and questionnaires collected will be stored securely in a locked filing cabinet within a locked office of the researcher, with only them having access. No participant names will used in the final written report. Any data will be stored and archived for a minimum of 3 year following collection. Lastly, in the unlikely event that information related to criminal activity and/or something that is harmful to self or other is disclosed, confidentiality will be broken, and the researcher will have to share that information with the appropriate authorities. A dataset within non-identifiable data will be shared with the Salford Royal hospital who may use the data for their own research.
What will happen if I do not want to carry on with the study?
You have the right to withdraw from the study at any point, without giving a reason, and without prejudice. If you withdraw from the research, any data collected will be discarded and removed from the study. This applies from the beginning of data collection to until the point where the results submitted for marking (June 2021). You can do this by contacting the researcher, whose details are provided on this information sheet.
What will happen to the results of the research study?
The results of this study will be written as a report and handed into the university for marking in order to obtain a grade and may be published in an academic journal.
Further information and contact details
For further information on the research project, please contact Laeticia Parker by email l.parker4@edu.salford.ac.uk
Other information
If you agree to participate in this investigation, you are free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason for doing so.
Thank you for considering participating in this research. If you have any questions, please contact:
Student: Laeticia Parker
Academic supervisor: Phillip Gray
