Larger Bodies in Radiography (LBinRAD)
Experiences of patients living in larger bodies, and how we improve services
Larger Bodies in Radiography (LBinRAD)
Experiences of patients living in larger bodies, and how we improve services
There is evidence that people who have larger bodies (this includes anyone who is wider, taller or broader than the ‘average’ and is not limited to those who are ‘plus size’ may have negative experiences when accessing healthcare services. Both the person themselves, and the healthcare professional, may for example encounter challenges due to limitations in the design of radiographic equipment because of weight and/or size. Current research on this topic tends to focus on these more technical aspects and until this project, there has been little information available about the experience of people with larger bodies who are referred to radiography services.
Study 1- CoRIPS Survey Study
In order to address the lack of research on the experience of people with larger bodies in radiography services, we applied to the College of Radiographers Research Grant (CoRIPS). This application, led by Dr Christine Heales was successful and we were awarded ~£10,000 for a survey study.
This project aimed to ask people who live in larger bodies what their experiences of accessing radiography services (either Medical Imaging or Radiotherapy) have been. This included questions on attitudes, behaviours and experiences as well as about resources and equipment.
This project used a survey to collect information from the public advertised via social media, as wewanted to reach as many people as possible.
Whilst we are still analysing the results, we hope they will help us understand the issues that may be faced by larger people within radiography services. This can be any form of radiography service including those accessed via private healthcare or an independent provider as well as the NHS.
Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Activity (PPIE)
In order to inform the development of the on going project, we sought funding to allow us to undertake PPIE activities (see more on the ‘Take Part!’ page)
This work is being led by Dr Fay Manning and is funded by the University of Exeter Public Engagement with Research (PER) Springboard Fund.
Future work
We hope to use the results of the survey and the PPIE activities to develop a follow-on project, Led by Dr Amy Hancock, to explore key areas in more detail (through focus groups or structured interviews). The longer-term aim would be to co-create resources for patients and clinical radiographers about larger bodies in radiography services, in order to provide the best possible care for this particular group of people.