Skip to main content
Wolfson Institute of Population Health
  1. WIPH
  2. Centres
  3. Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health
  4. Dementia and Ageing Research Unit
  5. Our Research
  6. REACH
  7. About the study

About the study

Why is the study needed?

Older people are among the main users of urgent and emergency care and are particularly likely to be taken to hospital after an ambulance assessment. At the same time, health services are increasingly seeking safe ways to provide more care in people's homes and communities when hospital treatment is not necessary.

REACH was developed within Barts Health NHS Trust to support London Ambulance Service paramedics with clinical decision-making for older people. Through REACH, specialist doctors can advise paramedics and help connect people with community services where appropriate.

Early evaluation of REACH suggests that many older people assessed through the service may be able to have their needs met in the community rather than in hospital. However, we need to understand more about what happens beyond the initial decision about whether someone goes to hospital, how the service affects patients and families, how it fits with wider community services, and what helps or hinders the service in practice.

The REACH evaluation is a wider mixed-methods programme of work. The current qualitative study focuses on understanding how the service is experienced and delivered in practice.


What are we trying to find out?

The study aims to understand experiences of REACH and evaluate the service from the perspectives of older people, family carers and health and care professionals. In particular, we want to:

  • Understand patients’ journeys before, during and after engagement with REACH
  • Explore the experiences of older people and family carers, including what matters most to them
  • Understand the views of paramedics, REACH clinicians and community health and care professionals
  • Identify what works well, what works less well, and the factors that help or make delivery more difficult


What will the research involve?

The qualitative research will include interviews and, for health and care professionals, some focus groups. We will speak with older people and family carers who have recent experience of REACH, as well as REACH clinicians, London Ambulance Service paramedics, and community health and care professionals involved in supporting people following REACH.

A small number of in-depth case studies will also bring together different sources of information to understand individual care journeys in more detail. This will help the research team examine how decisions are made, how care is coordinated, and how REACH interacts with wider services.

 

If you would like to find out about how you can get involved in our research, please click here.

 

Back to top