Improving shared decision making on the neonatal unit through assessment of parental experiences (The ShAPE study)
NCT ID NCT06035640
First seen Sep 10, 2026 ยท Last updated Sep 10, 2026
Summary
1 in 7 infants born in the United Kingdom will require treatment on a Neonatal unit to treat conditions, which vary in there level of severity. Treatments and interventions aimed at supporting the unwell neonate have associated risks and the evidence underpinning them can range from limited to substantial. There is a degree of uncertainty in Neonatology, which can be very stressful for parents and clinicians alike. Parents need to be supported by the clinical team in making many complicated clinical decisions, a skill that requires robust communication of risks, benefits and alternatives. In 2019 the British Association of Perinatal Medicine released a framework of care advocating Shared Decision Making (SDM) as the optimal process for making clinical decisions on neonatal units. This model builds upon the "informed decision" models by putting a greater emphasis on involving parents in key decisions regarding the treatment of their babies medical condition. Evidence has demonstrated that SDM can improve parental satisfaction and reduce anxiety and the likelihood of feeling regret. In order to support parents in the SDM process, clinicians need to be able to provide impartial information encompassing the proposed intervention, intended benefit, potential risks and alternatives. Whilst clinicians may have preconceptions on the information that they think should be provided, there is limited evidence in the literature of what are the most important concepts and themes that parents would expect to be conveyed during the SDM process. ShAPE is a qualitative study that aims to
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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18 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2026
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
This study will recruit parents of infants who have received care on a Neonatal Unit within the past 2years. Given the nature of interventions being studied, these are most likely to be (but not limited to) premature infants.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Parent of an Infant who, whilst on a neonatal unit, has received either; a transfusion of blood products, pharmacotherapy for persistent ductus arteriosus or corticosteroid therapy for chronic lung disease Exclusion Criteria: * The infant must have received the above treatments within the last 6 months prior to interview AND have been discharged from neonatal care for at least 4 weeks
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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William Harvey Hospital
Ashford, Kent, TN24 0LZ, United Kingdom
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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