Long-Term Conditions Project
Information Sheet
You are invited to take part in a short interview about living with long term conditions. As mentioned in the letter this is
not a research study. The information gathered will be used directly to improve care for patients with long term conditions.
We would like to take this opportunity to explain why we would like to interview you and what this will involve. We would
be grateful if you could take a few minutes to read the following information and discuss it with others if you wish to do so.
After you have read the information if anything is unclear or you have any questions, please let us know. Our contact
details are provided at the bottom of this sheet.
What is the purpose of the interview?
We wish to interview people who live with a long term condition, particularly people who have a number of long term
conditions. We intend to gather information for the development of a review tool that will be used by nursing staff and
doctors in GP practices and community settings. We know that some people with multiple long term conditions have
more complicated needs than patients with only one condition and for some patients, needs are not always fully
addressed. The information gathered will be shared with health care professions who are helping us with this project to
ensure that we gain a better understanding of patients’ and carers’ needs to help us in the development of the tool. We
hope that this review tool will assist in improving the services that you currently receive and provide greater access to
additional services that may help you manage your conditions better.
What will I have to do?
During the interview, you will be asked questions relating to how you and the health services you are in contact with
manage your conditions; what aspects of your health you think are managed well, whether you have any healthcare
goals, whether you have any concerns about your health, the frequency and nature of appointments at your GP practice
and other health and social services that are involved in your care and whether you feel your needs are being met.
Please note that if you decide to take part in an interview, you are still free to withdraw at anytime, including at any point
during the interview, and without giving a reason.
The NIHR CLAHRC for Greater Manchester is a collaboration of Greater Manchester NHS Trusts
and the University of Manchester and is part of the National Institute of Health Research
w: http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk e: [email protected]
What happens to the information I give at the interview?
With your permission, we will write your responses down on a prepared interview form. Following the interview, this
information will be combined with other patient interviews. We will not retain your personal details or any names of
people mentioned, these will remain confidential. The combined results of all the interviews we conduct will be shared
with health care professionals involved in our project to ensure that the tool we develop captures the needs of a wide
range of people with long term conditions. The results may also be used for educational and training purposes.
Who is carrying out the interviews?
The interviews are being carried out by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care
(CLAHRC) for Greater Manchester, an NHS organisation that works to improve health services for patients and carers
across the Greater Manchester area. For more information, visit http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/.
What do I need to do now?
When you are seen in clinic today you will be asked if you are happy for one of us to contact you, if you are, you will be
asked to sign a form so that your contact details can be passed onto us. We will then call you within 2 weeks to provide
any further information you require and ask whether you wish to proceed. If you do not that’s fine. If you do wish to take
part you will be asked whether you wish the interview to be conducted over the telephone or whether you would prefer
one of us to visit you at home. If we visit you at home we will bring a consent form for you to sign. If you wish to complete
the interview via telephone we will send one in a pre paid envelope for you to sign and return by post. As previously
stated please do not hesitate to contact us in the meantime if you require more information to help you decide.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Trish Gray
Knowledge Transfer Research Fellow
NIHR CLAHRC for Greater Manchester
0161 206 1587
The NIHR CLAHRC for Greater Manchester is a collaboration of Greater Manchester NHS Trusts
and the University of Manchester and is part of the National Institute of Health Research
w: http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk e: [email protected]