Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study
Abstract Introduction Doctors have a legal requirement and duty of care to ensure patients are enabled to make an informed decision about their treatment, including discussion of the benefits, risks and alternatives to a procedure. A patient-centred approach to consent has been firmly established in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01336-9 |
| _version_ | 1797795861972910080 |
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| author | Aoife Kiernan Fiona Boland Daragh Moneley Frank Doyle Denis W. Harkin |
| author_facet | Aoife Kiernan Fiona Boland Daragh Moneley Frank Doyle Denis W. Harkin |
| author_sort | Aoife Kiernan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Doctors have a legal requirement and duty of care to ensure patients are enabled to make an informed decision about their treatment, including discussion of the benefits, risks and alternatives to a procedure. A patient-centred approach to consent has been firmly established in Ireland, and fundamental to this is the ability to engage in a dialogue that offers comprehensible information to patients. Telemedicine has revolutionised the way we can deliver care to patients in the modern era of computers, tablets, and smartphones, and its use has been rapidly expanded. Novel digital strategies to improve the informed consent process for surgical procedures have been increasingly under investigation over the last 10–15 years and may offer a low cost, accessible and tailored solution to consent for surgical interventions. Within vascular surgery, superficial venous interventions have been associated with a high number medicolegal claims and also represents an area within the specialty with rapidly evolving technology and techniques. The ability to communicate comprehensible information to patients has never been greater. Thus, the author’s aim is to explore whether it is feasible and acceptable to deliver a digital health education intervention to patients undergoing endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) to supplement the consent process. Methods This is a prospective, single centre, randomised controlled, feasibility trial recruiting patients with chronic venous disease deemed suitable to undergo EVTA. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard consent (SC) or a newly developed digital health education tool (dHET). The primary outcome is feasibility; assessing the recruitment and retention rate of participants and assessing acceptability of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include knowledge retention, anxiety and satisfaction. This feasibility trial is designed to recruit 40 patients, which will allow for a moderate dropout rate. This pilot study will inform the authors of the appropriateness of an adequately powered multicentre trial. Discussion To examine the role of a digital consent solution for EVTA. This may improve and standardise the consent dialogue with patients and may have the potential to reduce claims related to poor consent processes and disclosure of risks. Ethical committee reference Ethical approval has been sought and received from both the Bon Secours Hospital and RCSI (202109017), on 14 May 2021 and 10 October 2021, respectively. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05261412 , registered on 1 March 2022 |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:24:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9a0ff6257c4d40acb96811acf9dd8260 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-5784 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:24:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pilot and Feasibility Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-9a0ff6257c4d40acb96811acf9dd82602023-06-25T11:09:23ZengBMCPilot and Feasibility Studies2055-57842023-06-019111010.1186/s40814-023-01336-9Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility studyAoife Kiernan0Fiona Boland1Daragh Moneley2Frank Doyle3Denis W. Harkin4Strategic Academic Research (StAR) Programme, Royal College of SurgeonsData Science Centre, School of Population Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesDepartment of Vascular Surgery, Bon Secours Health SystemDepartment of Health Psychology, School of Population Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesStrategic Academic Research (StAR) Programme, Royal College of SurgeonsAbstract Introduction Doctors have a legal requirement and duty of care to ensure patients are enabled to make an informed decision about their treatment, including discussion of the benefits, risks and alternatives to a procedure. A patient-centred approach to consent has been firmly established in Ireland, and fundamental to this is the ability to engage in a dialogue that offers comprehensible information to patients. Telemedicine has revolutionised the way we can deliver care to patients in the modern era of computers, tablets, and smartphones, and its use has been rapidly expanded. Novel digital strategies to improve the informed consent process for surgical procedures have been increasingly under investigation over the last 10–15 years and may offer a low cost, accessible and tailored solution to consent for surgical interventions. Within vascular surgery, superficial venous interventions have been associated with a high number medicolegal claims and also represents an area within the specialty with rapidly evolving technology and techniques. The ability to communicate comprehensible information to patients has never been greater. Thus, the author’s aim is to explore whether it is feasible and acceptable to deliver a digital health education intervention to patients undergoing endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) to supplement the consent process. Methods This is a prospective, single centre, randomised controlled, feasibility trial recruiting patients with chronic venous disease deemed suitable to undergo EVTA. Patients will be randomised to receive either standard consent (SC) or a newly developed digital health education tool (dHET). The primary outcome is feasibility; assessing the recruitment and retention rate of participants and assessing acceptability of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include knowledge retention, anxiety and satisfaction. This feasibility trial is designed to recruit 40 patients, which will allow for a moderate dropout rate. This pilot study will inform the authors of the appropriateness of an adequately powered multicentre trial. Discussion To examine the role of a digital consent solution for EVTA. This may improve and standardise the consent dialogue with patients and may have the potential to reduce claims related to poor consent processes and disclosure of risks. Ethical committee reference Ethical approval has been sought and received from both the Bon Secours Hospital and RCSI (202109017), on 14 May 2021 and 10 October 2021, respectively. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05261412 , registered on 1 March 2022https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01336-9ConsentDigital consentHealth education toolEndovenous thermal ablationVascular surgeryVenous disease |
| spellingShingle | Aoife Kiernan Fiona Boland Daragh Moneley Frank Doyle Denis W. Harkin Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study Pilot and Feasibility Studies Consent Digital consent Health education tool Endovenous thermal ablation Vascular surgery Venous disease |
| title | Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| title_full | Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| title_fullStr | Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| title_short | Varicose Vein Education and Informed coNsent (VVEIN) study: a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| title_sort | varicose vein education and informed consent vvein study a randomised controlled pilot feasibility study |
| topic | Consent Digital consent Health education tool Endovenous thermal ablation Vascular surgery Venous disease |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01336-9 |
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