Community Child Health Care Study - an exploratory study
INFORMATION SHEET Introduction
My name is Helen Pocknall and I am currently completing my Masters degree through Massey University. I am a registered nurse and I work as the Director of Nursing for the local District Health Board.
My special area of interest is child health and the purpose of my research (this study) is to discuss with you, the parents and caregivers of children from the local school community, what health care services you believe will make a difference to your children's health. I also want to discuss with you how you would like child health care services delivered in your community.
How are people chosen to be part of this study?
I would like to invite you as a parent or caregiver of children who live in the community to take part in this study. Three group sessions will be held. These are called focus groups and there will be one each for the parents and caregivers of Māori, Pacific and other children. If you would like further information about the study before deciding whether to take part then please let the staff at the school know. They will ensure that I am informed and I will contact you to discuss the study further with you.
What happens in this study?
Each focus group will have 6 to 10 participants in it. The focus group sessions will be audio-taped. Your consent is required for this - if you are unable to give consent then you will not be able to participate in the study. You are welcome to bring your family and whānau along to support you during the focus group. The only people who will have access to that information are my University supervisor, myself and the person who helps me to transcribe (type up) the tapes.
Each focus group will take no longer than one to two hours. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided at each of the sessions. There are no risks or costs associated with participation in this study, however, it will involve you giving time to come along to the focus group.
I will do a summary of the discussions. A further session of no longer than an hour will be offered to you to discuss and confirm the themes resulting from those discussions.
What are the benefits?
The benefit for you in taking part in this study is the valuable contribution you will make in informing the development of future health care services for the children of this community.
How will my privacy be protected?
Consent will be gained from you if you wish to take part in the study. You will be asked to keep confidential any discussions which you take part in during the focus group session. No information that could personally identify you or your child/children will be used in any reports on this study.
The information from the study will be stored securely in the School of Health Sciences at Massey University for 5 years.
What happens to the results of the study?
The results of the study will be published as a Masters thesis and published in a health journal.
The results will also be presented to the school community, the local District Health Board, the local Community Primary Health Organisation and local Māori Health Providers.
There will not be any changes in the delivery of services at this time for your child/children or the community as a result of participating in this study. However, the information from the study will contribute to the future development of the local District Health Board's child health services as they relate to this community.
Your Rights
You are under no obligation to take part in the study. If you decide to participate, you have the right to:
• decline to answer any particular question; • withdraw from the study at any time;
• ask any questions about the study at any time during participation;
• provide information on the understanding that your name will not be used unless you give permission to the researcher;
• be given access to a summary of the project findings when it is concluded. • ask for the audio tape to be turned off at any time during the interview.
Non-participation or withdrawal from the study will not affect the provision of any health care your child/children are already receiving or may need to receive in the future. What do I do if I have concerns about the study?
My supervisor for this study is Associate Professor Annette Huntington.
If you have any questions about the project please do not hesitate to contact my supervisor or me at any time. Contact details are as follows:
Researcher Supervisor
Helen Pocknall Annette Huntington
c/- local DHB Dept. of Nursing
Massey University
027 240 5710 04 801 2794, extension 6315
This study has received ethical approval from the Central Region Health and Disability Ethics Committee; Reference no. CEN/07/08/060.