Manchester Metropolitan University
Keywords: Aphasia, Communication support, Mental Capacity, Decision-making
Open to: Adult stroke survivors living in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale or Salford
How to Apply: Please email Mark Jayes Telephone: 0161 247 2885. E-mail: m.jayes@mmu.ac.uk.
Accessible Version: Please click here
Further Information: Participation Information (Accessible Document)
Research participation requests are sent to the Stroke Association from external research institutions (e.g. universities and hospitals).
We conduct checks on these before promoting but are not involved in their running. This means we cannot comment on trials and have no affiliation with them.
We want to invite you to take part in some research. This research is about helping people with communication difficulties to make decisions. You can take part if you have had a stroke. You need to live in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale or Salford.
We have developed a new communication test. The aim of the test is to show staff when a patient has communication problems and how to help the patient to make a decision. No other communication tests do this.
The test also tells staff when to ask a speech and language therapist for help. We need to do this research to find out if the test gives correct results and if staff can use it accurately.
We will ask 100 people living at home to take the communication test. These people will be stroke survivors who have communication problems. We will make videos of people taking the test.
What is the opportunity about?
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) says that healthcare staff need to help patients to make decisions. These may be important decisions about treatment or leaving hospital. Patients who have communication problems due to conditions such as a stroke need specific help. The law says staff need to make information about decisions easier to understand. Staff also need to help patients to talk about decisions more easily.
Research shows that many staff do not know how to help these patients to make decisions. They do not always ask speech and language therapists for expert help. Some staff assume wrongly that these patients cannot make decisions. This project aims to help staff to support patients with communication problems to make decisions.
We have developed a new communication test. The aim of the test is to show staff when a patient has communication problems and how to help the patient to make a decision. No other communication tests do this. The test also tells staff when to ask a speech and language therapist for help. We need to do this research to find out if the test gives correct results and if staff can use it accurately.
What will it Involve?
Researchers will visit you at home or a place you choose. A researcher will talk to you about the research and show you information about it. This will help you to make a decision about taking part.
If you decide to take part, you will need to sign a consent form. This says that you understand the research and you agree to take part. If you cannot make a decision, the researcher will ask your friend or relative if they think you would like to take part.
If you decide to take part researchers will visit you three times over two weeks. Each visit will take up to 30 minutes.
Visit 1 - A researcher will ask you to do the communication test. The test asks you to listen, speak, read, write and follow short instructions. The researcher will make a video of you doing the test. Speech and language therapists will watch the video later.
Visit 2 - The researcher will ask you to do the test again.
Visit 3 - A different researcher will ask you to do some different communication tests.
Who can take part?
You can take part if you had a stroke at least six months ago.
You must live in one of these four boroughs of Greater Manchester: Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford.
You cannot take part if:
a) You are currently unwell and this is affecting your communication
b) You have significant problems with your vision or your hearing
c) You did not speak fluent English before you had your stroke
What will you get from taking part?
The study may not have a direct benefit to you but will help us to understand how to support people with communication difficulties to make decisions.
How Can I Take Part?
Telephone: 0161 247 2885 or 07340 716652
E-mail: m.jayes@mmu.ac.uk
Information on taking part in research
Research participation helps research teams to test new ideas and approaches by sharing information or trying new approaches in clinical trials.
Find out more about taking part in research
Taking part in clinical trials can support research to:
- Stop strokes from happening.
- Treat strokes.
- Support people to rebuild their lives.
By taking part in research, you can help us to learn more about stroke and make a difference in the lives of future stroke survivors.
Find out about how our research has made a difference in the lives of people affected by stroke.
We have produced the Clinical Trials and Stroke booklet to explain more about clinical trials and answer questions you might have about taking part. The booklet was produced with the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
Information on Research Involvement
Research Involvement is a different way of contributing to research that involves collaborating with researchers to design decisions about how research is shaped and conducted.
You do not need any research knowledge to do this, your lived experience is what would otherwise be missing. Involvement is about contributing this to shape projects in ways that create most potential to benefit people affected.