Researches at Aberdeen University will explore the true impact of Covid-19 on society’s most vulnerable through an international survey.
The online study will analyse the knock-on effects of the pandemic on caregivers and patients with cancer, precancerous conditions and rare diseases.
Working in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast, it is hoped the research will provide rapid feedback to the NHS and charitable organisations.
With changes to the way the health system is operating to ensure patient safety, there has been a major impact on the lives of patients and caregivers.
The survey will assess the significance of these changes and, it’s hoped, identify the immediate and long-term impacts of coronavirus.
Professor Lesley Anderson, chair in health data science at Aberdeen University, said: “We hope that by capturing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on caregivers and patient groups that we will be able to identify ways to help.
“Learning from the current situation will also help us to be better informed should similar circumstances occur in the future.
“We are particularly interested to hear from caregivers and patients with cancer, those with a condition that increases their risk of cancer such as MGUS, CIN or Barrett’s oesophagus and those with rare diseases.”
To assess the long-term impacts, researchers will get back in touch with participants at the end of September and in January 2021 with a shorter survey.
This will help them find out if the impact of coronavirus changes over time.
All of the information obtained by the study will be shared with doctors, nurses, healthcare providers and charitable organisations to allow them to identify the best ways to support their patients during this time.
Any patient or caregiver over the age of 18-years-old can participate and share their own experiences.
The survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/IMPACCTsurvey.