Wrist injuries represent a considerable problem for both patients and the NHS. Around 70,000 patients per year in the UK attend hospitals with serious wrist pain after an injury, only to find that their x-ray is considered to be 'normal'. The National Institute of Care and Health Excellence (NICE) advises that these patients should be given MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans early on, within 2 weeks. Early MRI gives patients the best care, by picking up the serious injuries requiring early treatment and by helping reassure those without serious injuries to get back to activities quickly. This saves the NHS staff time and money by reducing unnecessary clinic attendances. Although these benefits from early use of MRI scans, and the NICE guidance, are clear, it is know from our recent national (UK) survey that only 11 of the 87 UK hospitals that we surveyed used MRI scans for these patients. The gap between what the best evidence suggests and what happens in clinical practice is a complex issue that requires further investigation. To develop a complex intervention to address this problem,a better understanding of the reasons why hospital services are currently unable to adopt the NICE guidance is needed. Clinical interventions in surgery exist on a spectrum from simple, such as closing a wound with stitches, to the complicated (carrying out a joint replacement for a neck of femur fracture) to complex (improving trauma theatre efficiency). The latter, more complex variety, are characterised by the 1) number of components in the intervention, 2) the range of behaviours targeted 3) the range and different levels of target recipients, 4) the expertise and skills required by those delivering and receiving the intervention 5) and or by the level of flexibility permitted in the intervention delivery. In 2000, the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) established guidance for developing and evaluating complex interventions to improve the delivery of health care services. An important stage in developing complex interventions and improving care is to fully understand current pathways and the context of care. This qualitative study aims to develop a better understanding of wrist injury pathways, and their context, in the NHS. We aim to (1) understand the barriers to early MRI for painful wrists and (2) understand what is important to patients when being treated with a wrist injury.
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
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AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Thematic analysis of interview data
Timeframe: 12 months