Help to test a survey about healthcare

What are we doing?

Picker, an independent health and social care research charity, are testing a survey asking about awareness of Martha’s rule. Information can be found below.

Who is organising the research?

The interviews are being carried out by researchers from Picker. It is part of a wider study led by Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, as part of the NIHR Quality Safety and Outcomes Policy Research Unit.  The research is funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and the Department of Health and Social Care.

About the project

Martha’s Rule is a new NHS policy which aims to amplify the patient voice and improve safety in hospitals. This policy intends to give patients and their families, as well as staff, an easy way of asking for advice (or a medical review) at any time in hospital when they feel their health or that of a loved one is getting worse, and they don’t feel that their concerns are being taken seriously by the healthcare staff who are looking after them.

Picker are testing the questionnaire to ensure that people are able to understand and answer the questions before it is launched more widely.

You can volunteer to take part if you are 18 years or older and live in England. You do not need to have stayed in hospital or visited anyone in hospital to be able to take part.

What will happen if I take part?

An online survey link will be sent to you via email ahead of the meeting, although we will ask that you do not look at this until the interview. You will speak with a researcher from Picker, who will ask you to read and answer the questions. You might be asked about your understanding of the questions and how you answered them. Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or over the telephone (we will ask you which method you would prefer to use). The interview should take between 30-45 minutes, and a thank you of a £25 Amazon or ‘Love2Shop’ voucher will be provided. Interviews will not be recorded.

Do I have to take part?

• No – participation is voluntary, it is up to you whether or not to take part.
• You can decide not to take part or withdraw at any time – even after the interview has started, without giving a reason.

Would my participation in this study be kept confidential?

• Yes – what you say will be kept entirely confidential. Care providers will not know who takes part.
• No identifying information (such as your name, or the names of healthcare staff) will be shared with anyone who provides care to you or your loved one. 
• Your personal information will not be shared with anyone unless required by law, where there is a clear overriding public interest, or if something you say indicates that you or your loved one are at risk of immediate harm.
• We will only ever share your views with our collaborators anonymously.
• You will be asked to electronically sign and complete a consent form that will be used only by researchers to confirm you have agreed to take part.

What will happen to the information that I share?

The information that you share will be used to test and improve a questionnaire which will be used to understand the awareness of Martha’s rule. The survey will then be used in two UK regions to understand and improve public awareness of the policy. Please note that any comments you provide about the survey will be reviewed by researchers. Any information that could identify you will be removed before publishing any of your feedback.

Picker comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Picker also complies with the Market Research Society’s (MRS) Code of Conduct by maintaining certifications from the International Standardisation of Organisations. Any sensitive or confidential material is stored securely in line with our data protection policy which can be found on our website https://picker.org/cookies-privacy/.

Your personal details (name and contact information) and all completed questionnaires from the interviews will be kept until the survey development is complete, after which they will be securely destroyed.

Contact details

If you have any questions about the research, before or after the cognitive interview, please get in touch with Cara Witwicki via email: cara.witwicki@pickereurope.ac.uk.

Privacy notice

Picker’s Privacy Notice can be found on our website: https://picker.org/cookies-privacy/  and describes how Picker use personal data and explains how you can contact us and invoke your rights as a data subject. We will process your information in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Thank you for taking the time to read through the information sheet. If you would like to take part, please click here to register your interest.