Introduction
We are asking if you would like to take part in a research project about factors that influence medical students and doctors’ decisions about career specialism and geographic location. The overall aim is to improve medical workforce recruitment and retention in socio-economically deprived areas. By identifying the impact of medical training pathways on workforce distribution, we will be able to propose how, when and where interventions might be facilitated to improve outcomes.
The following information describes what will be involved if you decide to take part. Please read the information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please ask if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information (contact details are at the end of this information sheet). Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
What does the study involve?
You will be asked to take part in an interview, either in person or via Microsoft Teams (depending on availability/ preference) answering questions on the topics outlined above. These anonymised data will then be analysed using qualitative techniques. As part of the sampling process, you will also be asked to provide some demographic information (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity etc).
Why have I been approached?
You have been identified as a UK-trained doctor who works in one of our three underdoctored case studies (North West, Northern and Lincolnshire), or our oversubscribed case study site (North London). We aim to interview up to 100 individuals at a range of career stages as part of this study.
Do I have to take part?
No. It’s completely up to you to decide whether or not you take part.
What will I be asked to do if I take part?
If you decide you would like to take part, you will be asked participate in a 60 minute interview, either in-person or online (via Microsoft Teams). This interview will discussing your career to date, focused around key transition points (starting medical school, first training posts, specialism as appropriate). This will involve some discussion of factors affecting life outside work (e.g. family background, relationships, children, as appropriate).
The interview will be digitally recorded, and subsequently transcribed. If you are interviewed via Microsoft Teams, the recording will include video as well as audio. After interview transcripts have been checked for accuracy by the research team, all audio/ video recordings will be destroyed. This will occur as soon as possible after the accuracy check.
Will my data be identifiable?
The information you provide will be anonymised. The data collected for this study will be stored securely and only the researchers conducting this study will have access to this data.
- Files on the computer will be access controlled (no-one other than the research team will have access to them) and the computer itself password protected.
- Audio recordings will be deleted once the project has been completed.
- The typed version of your interview will be made anonymous by removing any identifying information including your name, if this is the option you choose.
- Direct quotations from your interview may be used in publications from the study, and your name will not be attached to them if you choose this option.
- All your personal data will be confidential and will be kept separately from research data.
There are some limits to confidentiality. If what is said in an interview makes me think that you, or someone else, is at significant risk of harm, I will have to break confidentiality and speak to a speak to a member of the university ethics committee. If possible, I will tell you if I have to do this.
Lancaster University will be the data controller for any personal information collected as part of this study. Under the GDPR you have certain rights when personal data is collected about you. You have the right to access any personal data held about you, to object to the processing of your personal information, to rectify personal data if it is inaccurate, the right to have data about you erased and, depending on the circumstances, the right to data portability. Please be aware that many of these rights are not absolute and only apply in certain circumstances. If you would like to know more about your rights in relation to your personal data, please speak to the researcher on your particular study.
For further information about how Lancaster University processes personal data for research purposes and your data rights please visit our webpage: www.lancaster.ac.uk/research/data-protection
What will happen if I want to stop taking part?
You can withdraw from the study at any time before or during the interview, and up to two weeks following the interview, without explanation. If the request to withdraw comes after your data have been anonymised, collated and incorporated into themes, it might not be possible for it to be withdrawn, though every attempt will be made to extract the data, up to the point of delivering the report to the funder.
What will happen to the results?
These data will be analysed using qualitative techniques. The findings will be written up and may be used in papers submitted to academic journals and conferences and other research outputs. We will send you a summary of the research if you request it.
Are there any risks or benefits to taking part?
We do not anticipate risks to participating in this study. Although you may find participating interesting, there are no direct benefits in taking part.
Who has reviewed the project?
This study has been approved by Lancaster University Faculty of Health and Medicine Research Ethics Committee, and reviewed and approved by the Health Research Authority. The research sponsor is Lancaster University.
Who has funded the project?
The National Institute for Health and Care Research has provided funding for the study, reference NIHR134540.
What if there is a problem?
If you wish to make a complaint or raise concerns about any aspect of this study and do not want to speak to the researchers, you can contact:
Dr Laura Machin, Chair of the Faculty of Health and Medicine Research Ethics Committee, Lancaster University. Address: Health Innovation One, Sir John Fisher Drive, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4AT. Email: l.machin@lancaster.ac.uk Telephone: 01524 594547
Where can I obtain further information about the study if I need it?
If you have any questions about the study, please contact the researchers via mapping.doctors@lancaster.ac.uk
| Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet |
IRAS Project ID: 317106 MAPDOC: INTERVIEW INFORMATION LEAFLET V1, 2022-06-16