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New task force assembled at University of Leicester to Combat Asthma

A new task force for combating asthma in Leicester is being spearheaded by a University of Leicester medical researcher.

Dr Monica Lakhanpaul, Senior Lecturer in Child Health and Consultant Community Paediatrician and her co-researchers, have won a grant from the NIHR Health Services Research programme to work with the community, families, children and professionals to develop a tailored management and intervention programme for asthma in South Asian children in Leicester.

The team will be interviewing members of the community, children with asthma and their parents to give them a voice in academic and clinical forums, so that the end product interventions are informed by the views and experiences of people who suffer with asthma and who live with asthma patients.

“This means we will be developing services with the community for the community,” said Dr Lakhanpaul. “The research will serve as a model for working collaboratively to develop community health care programmes across the UK – for all communities.”

Dr Lakhanpaul said: “Asthma is one of the most common long-term childhood conditions, affecting 1 in 11 children in the UK. South Asian children with asthma suffer poorer health and outcomes than others.

“On completion, our research will provide evidence to be used when tailoring and delivering intervention programmes by providing a template for child, family, community and professional collaboration in intervention design that is intended to be transferrable to children with other chronic conditions or from other population groups.

The study will explore the perceptions and experiences of parents and children, the attitudes and experiences of the wider community in relation to child health and those of healthcare professionals involved in commissioning or delivering services for children and families.”

An important feature about the study is how it brings together researchers in the medical field with social scientists and psychologists to work together.

Dr Lakhanpaul will lead a team from the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Leicester City Primary Care Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in order to work with South Asian children, adults and healthcare professionals to understand the problem and find solutions.

Her co-researchers are:

Deborah Bird, Clinical Research Fellow on the project, University of Leicester; Lorraine Culley, Professor of Social Science and Health, De Montfort University; Jonathon Grigg, Professor, Queen Mary University London; Narynder Johal, Parent Representative ; Mark Johnson, Professor of Diversity in Health and Social Care, De Montfort University; Mel McFeeters, Consultant Nurse for Children’s Respiratory Disease, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust; Noelle Robertson,Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology and Research Director D Clin Psy, University of Leicester and Joanne Wilson, Paediatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Leicester City Primary Care Trust

Dr Lakhanpaul said: “In Leicester, a multi-cultural city with a 30% South Asian population, the rate of admission per 100,000 children was found to be 4.6 times higher in South Asian children than other children. One suggestion is that South Asian children are being under-diagnosed and under-treated at home and in the community, which may explain the increased use and need for hospital care.”

The Management and Interventions for Asthma Study (MIA) will develop suggestions for improving access to, and use of, services and ways of increasing success and confidence in self-management of asthma amongst South Asian communities.

Dr Lakhanpaul said: “MIA’s strength comes from its collaborative approach to research: it is hoped that by working with children, families and professionals, the study will be kept focussed on the issues that are important to the people affected by asthma and that the solutions are both practical and appropriate.

The lessons learnt from the study will help others to work collaboratively with communities to identify health issues which are of concern to them and to develop improved ways of tackling these.