Methods
discussion around future medical and therapeutic intervention .
Methods
PROCEDURE EMPLOYED Ethics
This research project was approved by the Keele Institute for Innovation and Teaching Excellence university ethics board . Completion of anonymous questionnaire implied consent .
Study design
This project was performed as a cross-sectional observational study on a sample population of homeless individuals ( n = 45 ) based within the Stokeon-Trent area . The questionnaire comprised of numerical descriptive responses . Participants were asked to highlight or tick the box that they believed was most applicable to their circumstance . The data would then be implemented into a table designed by the authors .
The questionnaire designed for this project ( Appendix 1 ) was a combination of the Patient health questionnaire-4 ( PHQ-4 ), the EuroQol-5D questionnaire ( EQ-5D ) and North Staffordshire health questionnaire ( Chronic pain ).
Participants
Inclusion criteria : homeless individuals who were aged 18 years old and above , of any gender , sober during the completion of the questionnaire , attending one of the associated homeless charities . Exclusion criteria : any incomplete form or known statutory homeless adults .
Eligible homeless adults were invited to take part at one of the recruiting charity sites . Willing individuals completed the anonymous questionnaire . The research team explained the aim of the study and answered questions when required . The completed questionnaires were added to an Excel sheet where descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data . All local and national COVID-19 guidelines were followed during the study .
MATERIALS USED EQ-5D
Health-related quality of life was measured using the EuroQol-5D ( EQ-5D ) questionnaire . It consists of five characteristics consisting of : mobility , self-care , usual activities , pain / discomfort , and anxiety / depression . The EQ-5D is a self-reported questionnaire with a five-point scale : 1 being ‘ no issue ’ and 5 is ‘ unable to complete the task due to the effect of mental health ’. The EQ-5D is considered a valid and reliable tool when measuring the homeless populations quality of life . An example of its use can be shown in Public Health ’ s homeless survey as the form is under constant review and is still in use ( Burström K . et al ., 2001 ; Gunther et al ., 2008 ).
PHQ-4
Health-related quality of life was measured using the EuroQol-5D ( EQ-5D ) questionnaire . It consists of five characteristics consisting of : mobility , self-care , usual activities , pain / discomfort , and anxiety / depression . The EQ-5D is a self-reported questionnaire with a five-point scale : 1 being ‘ no issue ’ and 5 is ‘ unable to complete the task due to the effect of mental health ’. The EQ-5D is considered a valid and reliable tool when measuring the homeless populations quality of life . An example of its use can be shown in Public Health ’ s homeless survey as the form is under constant review and is still in use ( Burström K . et al ., 2001 ; Gunther et al ., 2008 ).
North Staffordshire health questionnaire ( Chronic Pain )
To measure chronic pain in the homeless population , an excerpt from the North Staffordshire health questionnaire was used . The excerpt questioned individuals ’ experience of pain , asking them to detail the time frame in which they have suffered from physical pain . The form goes on to ask the individual to identify the region of the body that has / had been experiencing pain and if it were to be for longer than six months ( the period of time in which pain is categorised as chronic ( NHS Inform , 2021 )). The form also asks individuals to identify whether the pain has had any effect on their mobility and / or quality of life . The questionnaire features
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