Research Aims
The Client Waitlist Preference Measure Study aims to gather valuable data to improve understanding of client preferences in healthcare services. This study is part of a broader research project aimed at developing a measure that clients can use to articulate their waitlist preferences for mental health services, similar to the C-NIP. Once finalised, this measure could facilitate the personalisation of care for waitlisted clients and contribute to further research in this area.
Key Information
01
What is the purpose of this study?
During this initial item generation phase of this project, we are interested in interviewing people who manage waitlists to discover what waitlist management strategies they currently use in mental health services in the UK, and how they could vary the way they manage their waitlists to accommodate clients’ waitlist preferences. Examples of waitlist management strategies clients may prefer include waitlist review calls or SMS waitlist status updates.
The purpose of the interview is not to establish what people who manage waitlists consider to be good waitlist management practice. Instead, we want to hear how people who manage waitlists vary or could vary their waitlist to create dimensions where either end of the dichotomy might be preferable to clients. For example, a regular versus an infrequent waitlist option. Clients could then use the waitlist preference measure to articulate the strength of their preference in any direction along this spectrum, similar to the C-NIP.
Furthermore, we would like to understand what information people who manage waitlists consider essential for effectively assessing and accommodating clients’ waitlist preferences, as well as any challenges they anticipate based on their experience.
02
Why take part?
By examining a variety of responses from people who manage mental health waitlists across different settings, including the NHS, private practice, charities, and the third sector, we aim to identify recurring themes related to assessing and accommodating clients’ waitlist preferences.
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The insights from the interviews with people who manage waitlists, combined with relevant pre-existing literature, will assist in creating a pool of potential items for the client waitlist preference measure. These potential items will undergo further testing in the subsequent phases before the measure is finalised.
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03
What will taking part involve?
Before the interview begins, participants will be asked to complete an online Qualtrics survey that should take approximately 5-10 minutes. The survey will ask participants to provide demographic information, such as their age, gender, and ethnicity, followed by brief details about the type of waitlist they manage (e.g., the length of the waitlist, client group, and mental health setting).
Virtual interview
The interview will be conducted by Sally-Ann Adams via the online video platform, Microsoft Teams, for approximately 60 minutes. Both video and audio recordings will take place during the interview. You are welcome to turn your camera off if you do not wish to be video recorded.
During the interview, Sally-Ann will take notes as she invites the waitlist consultants to discuss the waitlist management strategies they currently utilise and how they could adjust their waitlist management to create dimensions of clients’ waitlist preferences. She may ask questions like:
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Can you describe the process you follow to manage your waitlist?
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In what ways do you vary your waitlist for clients?
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Have clients expressed any preferences for your waitlist?
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What information would you need to know to assess and accommodate clients’ waitlist preferences successfully?
The interview will be transcribed during the video call using the automated transcription software integrated into Microsoft Teams. The transcript will be pseudonymised, and the responses will be analysed. The interview transcript and research findings will exclude any identifiable information.
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The research findings from this study may be published in academic journals or shared through presentations, blog posts, and other publications. Any personally identifiable information will be removed.
Research Team Profiles
Mick is an internationally recognised authority in the field of counselling and psychotherapy and a chartered psychologist. Mick is an author of a range of texts on humanistic, existential, and relational approaches to therapy; and co-developed the pluralistic approach with Professor John McLeod. Mick is Acting Director of the School of Psychology's Centre for Research in Psychological Wellbeing (CREW) at the University of Roehampton.
Kaz's research interests lie within the domains of memory, ageing and mental health. Her recently funded research projects include improving memory in older participants using tDCS (PI, British Academy, awarded March 2023), improving mental health in older participants using a cognitive intervention tool (PI, NIHR patient and public involvement and PI, University of Roehampton UKRI funds, 2022) and the effects of heat stress on cognitive performance (Co-I,University of Roehampton UKRI funds, 2022).