FAQ (For Patients and Participants)
This section of the website is aimed at people who's data is being used for the study.
What happens to my information?
Participants in the qualitative (interview) study will be provided with a detailed Participant Information Sheet and have an opportunity to discuss this in depth with the researcher before participating. Their information will be anonymised and used in a way which minimises the likelihood of a third party being able to identify them.
There is also a detailed participant information sheet for the modelling study. Patients who take part in this part of the research will have all of the identifiable information removed from their data before it is transferred to the central research team at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and the University of Plymouth. This means that, for example, information which does not need to be used - such as a participant's name - will not be uploaded at all. Information which is related to identifiers - such as their date of birth, or date of operation - will be changed in a way which means that the important information can be analysed, but is no longer identifiable.
Will I automatically be included in the study?
You will either need to be asked, or volunteer to take part in the qualitative study.
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If you meet the study criteria for the modelling study, you may automatically be included in the study by the local team.
You do not have to do anything to be included, and as the study is observational, your care will be no different as a result of inclusion.
You can choose to opt out of the study if you wish. If you are not sure whether you want to take part or not, we suggest that you take time to read through the information on this website, which may help you to decide. If you still have questions, you can either ask your clinical team, or contact the central team using the contact option in the main menu.
How can I opt-out of the study?
You can opt out of the study by contacting the study team at your hospital. You can read more about this by selecting "Opt-out" here or from the menu bar above.
The central research team do not hold any identifiable information. That means that if you contact them, they won't be able to work out which record to delete, or to prevent your information being uploaded in the future. However, if your local team have not responded to confirm your opt-out within two weeks, you can ask the central research team to make contact with them on your behalf.
What do I need to do if I am part of the modelling study?
Nothing!
This study is observational in its design. That means that we look at what happens in the course of normal patient care. As a result, there is no additional risk to you. In the future, patients and the health service may benefit from your involvement.
Will taking part in research affect my care?
No.
Taking part in either the modelling study, or in the qualitative study will not affect the care you receive.
We will gather the data we need for the modelling study by looking at information about you and your procedure, as it happens in real-world, normal care. The information will be de-identified, meaning that traceable details, such as your name, date of birth, address or hospital numbers will be converted to codes, ages, or timeframes before the central research team can access it.
Even if you are identified for the qualitative study by your clinical team, the research team will not inform them whether you have taken part or not, and steps will be taken to ensure that you can not be identified from published reports.
Can I volunteer to be part of the study?
​If you are a healthcare professional who is involved in the organisation or delivery of cholecystectomy,or a patient who has been diagnosed with a gallbladder problem and are either waiting for surgery, or have had surgery, then you can volunteer to take part in the qualitative study (interview study). We are using a method of selection called "purposive selection", which means that we will choose people in such a way that a variety of characteristics are represented, so that the results are more transferable to the wider UK patient and professional populations. If we have lots of volunteers with similar characteristics (for example, junior surgeons working in complex referral units, or women living and working in rural environments ), we may not be able to interview every volunteer.
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The team at your local hospital will decide whether you can be included in the modelling study. You do not need to volunteer, and inclusion will be automatic if you meet the criteria, unless you tell them that you wish to opt-out (see FAQ and menu section on opting out).