User views

The NHS Plan, Department of Health (2000) made a commitment that patients should be able to receive copies of clinicians’ letters about them as a right in order to improve communication and enable patients to participate in their care. In South Gloucestershire, the opinions of local service users with learning disabilities, their carers, and professionals working within learning disability services about this issue were sought using questionnaires and focus groups in order to identify and then develop good practice.

This web-based briefing provides a concise summary of the research and policy literature into the means, benefits and difficulties of involving patients in the planning of discharge to community or intermediate care. It also considers the role of carers in this process, as well as what happens when an older person’s ability to communicate their preferences in these matters is affected by dementia, language difficulties, or an unwillingness or reluctance to express preferences about the provision of care.

The coping strategies adopted by six carers to adapt to changes in their relationship with their partner with young onset dementia are explored. All were recruited from the north west of England and interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data.

Purpose – The National Institute of Health Research MHRN established the Feasibility and Support to Timely recruitment for Research (FAST-R) service in 2011, to provide rapid patient and carer feedback on research documents, prior to ethical review. The aims were to improve the feasibility of studies, to speed up regulatory processes and enhance study set up and completion. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how the FAST-R service benefits the review process.

The need for accurate information about the mental health problems of multicultural communities requires valid measures of mental health for use in a number of languages and cultural contexts. Measures of psychopathological symptoms leading to a diagnosis have been especially criticised for their universal application, without attention to their limitations across cultures. Yet, measures are crucial to assess recovery and the performance of services, and to take account of carer and user views.

One of a series of e-learning resources which explore the nature of interprofessional and inter-agency collaboration (IPIAC) and improving collaborative practice. The interactive resource uses audio, video and interactive technology to examine the nature of collaboration, why it is important, its purposes and its growing place in policy and practice. Those using care services and carers also talk about their experiences of effective and ineffective collaboration.

This training resource uses series of monologues from people with dementia and their carers to promote discussion and increase awareness of the problems they face. The monologues are brought to life by the actors Godfrey Jackman and Pam Lyne, using the words of the writers or speakers. A CD-ROM includes a set of facilitators' notes based on the Alzheimer's Society's interpretation of the films and their relevance to the support of people with dementia and their carers.

Background: Families in Ireland remain the main providers of support for people with Intellectual disabilities, and the aim of this study was to map their life experiences whilst involving their family members as co-researchers.

Materials and Method: This qualitative, participatory study involved 10 focus groups attended by 70 parents and siblings of people with intellectual disabilities. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Looks at what user consultation and empowerment mean to service users and carers themselves.