Category: Let's talk
Hi all
As part of my degree, i'm conducting a very interesting primary research study, which will, hopefully, benefit us all in the long term. Below, I am posting a brief description of the study, and in the next post, the participant information sheet. If you choose to, there is the chance to be entered into a prize draw for an Amazon voucher. If we get enough participants, there is a good chance that this study will be posted in relevant medical journals. I'd appreciate any help you can give me.
Repetitive strain injury and long cane use; are they linked?
My name is Carly and I am an undergraduate physiotherapy student. As part of my degree, I am performing a primary research study to explore the possibility of a link between long cane use and repetitive strain injury. The study's results will be compiled into a dissertation, which will be presented at my university, and may be published in relevant journals.
Participation:
Attached is the participant information sheet, which will give you much more information on the study. In brief, participation involves filling in an online questionnaire, which shouldn't take longer than 10 minutes. Whether you use a long cane or not, your participation is valuable, as the opinions of non-cane users are just as important to the final results. The only qualifying criteria are that you are visually impaired/blind, between 16 and 65 years old, and have not had recent injury to your cane hand.
As a thank you for taking part, you can choose to be entered into a draw to win a £25 amazon voucher. Your e-mail address will not be used to contact you, unless you are the lucky winner.
The data collection period runs until 11/03/2008. Once the dissertation has been compiled and approved, the results will be posted on the website.
If you wish to participate, please point your web browser to
www.sitenoobject.co.uk/survey
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and, hopefully, to participate.
Carly
Holdsworth, Lynn writes:
> Carly, do you want to write a short explanation of your survey that I
> can put on the LCA and a couple of other lists?
>
> Love Mum X
>
> Lynn Holdsworth
> Web Analyst/Programmer - www.rnib.org.uk
> T: +44 (0)20 7391 2366
> E: lynn.holdsworth@rnib.org.uk
>
>
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PARTICIPANT INFORMATION SHEET
Oxford Brookes University
School of Health and Social Care
Jack Straw’s Lane
Headington
Oxford
OX3 0FL
Repetitive Strain injury (RSI) and Long cane use; are they linked?
Thank you for taking the time to read this introductory letter.
My Name is Carolyn, and I am an undergraduat physiotherapy student. As part of a dissertation, I am seeking participants to take part in a study which seeks to explore a possible link between long cane use and repetitive strain injury (RSI).
This study has full approval from the School of Health and Social Care’s Ethics Committee at Oxford Brookes University.
Repetitive strain injury, for the purposes of this study, is defined as a painful sensation in the fingers, hand, wrist, forearm or elbow, or a combination of these areas which occurs as a result of a repetative activity.
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the possibility that using a cane can cause repetitive strain injuries, but, as yet, no study has directly investigated this. It is important to investigate this purported link as repetitive strain injury is treatable, and, with such treatments, symptoms can be minimised. It is recognised that RSI can be potentially severely debilitating if it affects the dominant cane hand.
How you can help
It is entirely your decision whether you take part or not. The researchers are seeking participants who are either registered blind or partially sighted between the ages of 16 and 65. Whether you use a cane or not, you are invited to take part, as the experiences of non-cane users are valuable as part of the study findings. If you have had surgery to, or experienced injury/trauma to, your cane hand in the last six months, it is asked that you do not take part in the study. If you have a current diagnosis of RSI in your cane hand, you are not excluded from participation, but please make sure you identify this on the questionnaire.
What you will be asked to do
Your participation will be straightforward, and should take no longer than 10 minutes. You will be asked to complete an online questionnaire, which will ask questions related to mobility and whether or not you experience any pain in your cane arm, if you use a cane. It will also ask about other activities, which have been identified to increase the risk of RSI, such as typing.
Before completing the questionnaire, you will be asked to provide a valid email address. This is purely to avoid one participant from entering data multiple times and biasing the final results. Your email address will not be given to any third parties, and will be dissociated from your submitted questionnaire. For the remainder of the study, you will only be identified by a participant number.
As a reward for taking part, you can choose to be entered into a prize draw to win a £25 Amazon online gift voucher! You will not have to submit any personal details to be entered, as our computer programme will select a participant number at random. If you are the lucky winner, the voucher details will be emailed to you.
As mentioned before, it is recognised that using a computer can contribute to repetitive strain injury. In light of this, the questionnaire will be as short as possible to minimise this risk. If you are unhappy with using a computer, it is possible to conduct the questionnaire over the telephone. If you would like phone contact, please email 05064310@brookes.ac.uk, providing a telephone number that you can be reached on, and the researcher will call you.
If you choose to participate, your contribution will be appreciated. As well as having the chance to win £25 in Amazon vouchers, you will be helping me to explore the relationship between RSI and long cane use. This study is an exploratory one, but, if a link is found, it may encourage further investigation into the condition and its effects on the visually impaired community. If repetitive strain injury is found to be linked to long cane use, subsequent studies may be able to encourage closer monitoring of those who are at risk, and treatment could be given much sooner.
Confidentiality will be maintained at all times. Your name or other personal details that would make you easily identifiable are not required for participation. The email address you provide will be used only to send you the details of the Amazon voucher, should you win the prize draw.
What will happen to the results?
The raw data will be destroyed on completion of the study. A copy of the dissertation will be held in the University library and the findings may be published in relevant journals. It will not be possible to link you as an individual with the study findings.
If you would like to take part, please log on to http://www.sitenoobject.co.uk/survey, and follow the instructions given to complete the questionnaire. Please note: Neither Oxford Brookes University, nor the researcher, are affiliated with Site No Object, the website owners, nor do they seek to advertise the company’s services by placing the study on the website.
Alternatively, if you would rather participate over the telephone, please contact the researcher in the manner described above.
Rights and Responsibilities
At any time during the course of the study, you have the right to withdraw your participation, including any submitted data prior to the analysis stage. You do not have to provide a reason for this, and your details will be removed from the study.
If you wish to know more about RSI, please log on to www.rsi.org.uk. This is a website which provides information about the condition, together with a discussion forum and a list of local support groups.
If you have any questions you would like answered prior to, during, or after participation in the study, please contact 05064310@brookes.ac.uk. You can also contact the project supervisor, Sue Syndica-Drummond, on ssyndica-drummond@brookes.ac.uk
If you have concerns about the way the study has been conducted, you can contact the chair of the School of Health and Social Care’s Research ethics Committee, Hazel Abbott, on heabbott@brookes.ac.uk
Thank you
Lesley Carolyn Marno
Undergraduate Student Physiotherapist
Oxford Brookes University
School of Health and Social Care
Jack Straw’s Lane
Headington
Oxford
OX3 0FL
i've just taken the survey. pretty easy.
Thank you very much. I do appreciate that.