CHiP (2020 - ongoing)

Care of Housebound patients in Primary care (the CHiP study), focuses on housebound patients – an under-researched group with complex medical and social problems.

PACT members are creating a dataset of 400 older (>=65 years) housebound people and 400 age and gender matched non-housebound people so that we can describe differences in their characteristics, long-term conditions and healthcare use. We are also asking GPs and healthcare professionals to complete a short survey about their views towards how housebound patients are cared for in their practice.

Watch our video to learn more about CHiP

Chief investigator

Dr Polly Duncan 

GP and NIHR Doctoral Research Fellow

Ethics approval

University of Bristol

Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee

Funding and support

Royal College of General Practitioners

Scientific Foundation Board

National Institute for Health and Care Research

Doctoral Research Fellowship

Health Education England

PACT Fellowship

CHiP Timeline

Protocol development

Jul 2020

Ethics approval

Nov 2020

Recruitment start

Nov 2022

Data collection start

Nov 2022

Data analysis start

Sep 2023

Benchmarking data

Sep 2023

Final publication

Winter 2023

86 practices taking part

Please read the PACT Constitution and the PACT Authorship Policy before joining

  • We are creating a dataset of 400 older (>=65 years) housebound people and 400 age and gender matched non-housebound people so that we can describe differences in their characteristics, long-term conditions and healthcare use. We are also asking GPs and healthcare professionals to complete a short survey about their views towards how housebound patients are cared for in their practice.

  • There has been very little research about housebound patients. This is the first in a series of projects which ultimately aim to improve primary healthcare for housebound patients.

  • For part A (dataset), they need to identify housebound and non-housebound patients and collect anonymised data from their records. For part B (clinician survey), they need to complete a short survey about how care is organised for housebound patients in their practice and ask 2-4 clinicians in the practice to complete a short (<10 minute) survey)

  • This is a fantastic opportunity to gain some research skills and to be part of a project which will hopefully lead to better care of housebound patients. PACT members will be provided with certificates, taking part can count towards CPD and they will be named as authors on the papers. They will be sent a report with practice-level data benchmarked against other practices taken part. This can be used to identify QIP projects.

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