Take part in an interview to help researchers understand the experiences of people with learning disabilities who undergo radiotherapy.
What’s the study about?
Researchers want to understand the experiences of people with learning disabilities who have radiotherapy.
They’re conducting a study which is exploring decision-making, treatment, and support for people with learning disabilities during radiotherapy.
They aim to create a framework to demonstrate what can lead to a positive experience of radiotherapy for people who have a disability, and the people who support them.
Who can take part?
You can take part if you have a learning disability and cancer, and you’ve had radiotherapy in the last 5 years. Or, you’ve been offered radiotherapy but chose not to have it.
You can also take part if you’ve supported someone with a learning disability who’s had, or been offered, radiotherapy in the last 5 years. This includes being healthcare or social care professional, a family member, or paid carer.
All participants have to be over the age of 18, and live in England.
Why do you want me to be involved?
The researchers hope that this study will help improve decision-making, treatment, and post-treatment support for people with learning disabilities who undergo radiotherapy.
By sharing your experiences, you can ensure that the outcomes of this study represent the needs of and benefit as many people as possible.
What will you ask me to do?
You'll be asked to take part in an interview about your experiences. This will last 1 hour and will be at a time and date that suit you.
The interview will explore
- How much you, or someone you support, are involved in decisions around radiotherapy
- Your experience of radiotherapy
- The support available when you, or someone you support, are having radiotherapy
You can choose whether you’d like to be interviewed online via Microsoft Teams or Zoom, or whether you’d like to be interviewed in person at you home or somewhere close to you where you feel comfortable.
If you have a learning disability, you need to arrange to have someone who can be in the same place when the interview happens. They can either be with you during the interview to give you support, or they can wait nearby in case you need them. Or, you can arrange to call someone afterwards.
If the support person is in the venue where your interview takes place, you can decide if the person sits with you during the interview
How do I get involved?
You can find out more information by visiting the study website and by reading the participant information sheet.
There’s also an easy read information sheet.
If you’d like to take part, please contact Charlotte Nutting, by email at c.nutting@shu.ac.uk or by calling her on 0114 225 5989.
When’s the deadline?
There is no current deadline for this survey. It's ongoing.
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