A risk calculator for Type 2

Title of research

A qualitative study to determine the impact that a web-based interactive risk calculator and support package has on how people with Type 2 diabetes think and feel about their cardiovascular risk

Institution

Royal Free and University College London Medical School

Name of lead investigator

Dr Tom Nolan

Research funded by

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

Who to contact

Dr Tom Nolan
Tel: 0207 794 0500 (ext. 31002)
Email: t.nolan@ucl.ac.uk

Recruiting until

31 May 2013

Total number of participants needed

30

Who can and cannot take part?

Participants must be aged 18 or over and have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

What is the research about?

Living with diabetes is a lifelong commitment and can be very challenging. People with diabetes need support, high-quality information and help with the demands of managing diets, lifestyles and the different tablets and injections they might use as treatments. Currently, not all people with diabetes are able to get the information, support and training they need to become experts at managing their diabetes.

Internet-based ‘risk calculators’, such as this one, are increasingly used by members of the public to find out if they are at risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or cancer. They aim to help people understand health risks and to make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle.

The researchers on this study have developed a risk calculator for people with Type 2 diabetes that estimates the risk of a heart attack, stroke, and death based on information such as blood pressure and cholesterol and activity levels. It also allows people to see the impact that changes to these and other factors are likely to have on their health risks.

The researchers would like to know what effect the new risk calculator has on people with Type 2 diabetes. In particular they are interested in how people with Type 2 diabetes react when they find out their risk of dying or of having a heart attack or stroke and learn about the ways of altering these risks.

How will it benefit people with diabetes?

Taking part in this research will give participants the opportunity to find out their estimated risk of having a heart attack or stroke. They will also be able to see how these risks might be reduced through changes to lifestyle or through improved control of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

This study will help the researchers to gain a better understanding of the effects that internet-based risk calculators have on people and how their design could be improved to help people get a better understanding of health risks. Ultimately this could help people with diabetes to become better informed and to take action to reduce their risk of related health problems.

What will taking part involve for participants?

People who take part will be invited to meet with a researcher at the Royal Free Hospital in London, and will be asked to try out the new risk calculator using a computer. The researcher will then ask them to fill in a short questionnaire and ask them a few questions about their experience of using the calculator. The whole session will last for a maximum of two hours.

Participants will be asked to bring with them their most recent diabetes and cholesterol blood test results and blood pressure readings, which they may need to obtain from their GP or diabetes clinic.

The session will be audio-recorded so that the researchers can analyse participants’ accounts of using the risk calculator as accurately as possible.

What are the risks involved in taking part?

This study places no risks on participants’ health, but participants may find it distressing to discover their risk of dying or of having a heart attack or stroke. The researcher involved will be a trained health professional who will be able to provide support and advice if needed.

Participants’ personal data will be handled in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that the risk of your personal information being misused is kept to a minimum.

Is there any compensation for taking part?

Participants will be refunded for their travel expenses, up to a cost of £10, and the researchers will give each participant £25 for taking part.