Seeking Help for Breathlessness in Diverse Ethnic Communities

One in ten people feel breathless in everyday life. Some people do not know when to see their doctor for breathlessness, or if it is normal for their age. There is often a long delay in getting a diagnosis when people do seek help. Research to understand why there are delays to diagnosis has mainly been done with people from a white, English-speaking ethnic background. We do not know how people from different ethnic backgrounds are prompted to get help for breathlessness, or what would support them to get help sooner.

The aim is to understand how people from diverse communities can be supported to seek help for breathlessness. The study team would like to understand people’s experiences of seeking help for breathlessness, to improve the pathway in the future.

Objectives:

To explore how people from different ethnic communities seek help for breathlessness.
To understand how people can be supported and signposted to seek help for breathlessness.

The study team plan to hold focus groups with people in Leicester from different ethnic backgrounds. Focus groups are a way to collect opinions and views from people about a topic. The focus groups will be advertised in community centres and healthcare centres. Written information and short videos will be used to explain what the focus groups involve. Information will be given in different languages and any travel costs will be paid for so that people can attend the focus groups.

The Centre for Ethnic Health Research based in Leicester will support the researchers to work with different communities. Workshops/focus groups will be conducted in a variety of locations, for example in community centres, to maximise attendance and reduce travel burden for participants.

The information collected will be used to help understand how people get help for breathlessness and what would make it easier or better.

If you would like more information please call:

0116 258 3370

or email:

breathlessness@leicester.ac.uk