Can you help to develop a new online resource for people affected by burn injuries?

Our friends at the Centre for Appearance Research have announced a new research project aiming to improve support for people affected by burn injuries. We spoke to Christia Huntington, PhD researcher about the project and how people can take part.

Who am I?

My name is Christia Huntington and I am a PhD researcher at the Centre for Appearance research, based at the University of the West of England in Bristol, U.K. I am researching the lived experiences of people affected by burn injuries, including parents of children with burn injuries, as well as the provision of online support that is available about burn injuries.

Current research

You may have found that online support for people affected by burn injuries is limited. Forums, chatrooms, and amazing charities such as the Children’s Burns Trust do exist, but there is nowhere where you can access in-depth health information about burn injuries, including the impact of psychological challenges as well as physical symptoms. As a parent of a child with a burn injury, you may in the past have struggled to find another parent who has experienced something similar to you, or perhaps you had never met somebody with a burn injury so you may worry about your child growing up with one. It is important that you and people in a similar situation to you can access online support specifically related to burn injuries.

Working in collaboration with Oxford University, my research will provide a webpage on Healthtalk Online (www.healthtalk.org) with information about living with a burn injury. This will be done by interviewing people about their experiences and recording their video interviews. The webpage will contain videos of people sharing their experiences on a range of topics including treatment journeys, family support, and outlook for the future. Children over the age of 10 years old, adults, and parents of children with a burn injury will be invited to participate so hopefully you can find someone on the website that you can relate to.

So what’s next?

Recruitment for the study has already begun with an estimated completion date of Autumn 2022 when the Healthtalk Online webpage will go live. Interviews will be held over Microsoft Teams and will involve answering a series of questions on a variety of topics relating to living with a burn injury. The interviews will be recorded, edited, and sections of it uploaded onto the Healthtalk Online website for people to watch and listen to. There will also be the option for recorded telephone interviews to take place if people do not wish to be video recorded.

How can I help?

If you would like to share your experiences of being a parent of a child with a burn injury and are happy for your interview to be recorded and form part of the Healthtalk Online burn injuries webpage, then please contact me on Christia.Huntington@uwe.ac.uk and I can give you some more information about the study. You will also receive a £20 online voucher to say thank you for your time!

A huge thank you to Children’s Burns Trust for advertising their research and to all the children, young people, and parents who have given up their time to speak to me.