Evaluation of Compass

Dr Jonathan Koffman, Cathy Shipman and Susan Longhurst
 
Compass is a telephone helpline for patients with advanced disease and their families living in south east London.
The aims of this 12 month research and development study were to explore the feasibility, perceived satisfaction and outcomes of a telephone helpline for patients with advanced disease and their families living in south east London. The research had a series of objectives to realise its overall aim:

1. to describe the usage of the telephone helpline
2. explore the success of the telephone helpline in reaching its target patient and population groups
3. provide action research for potential replication of the project elsewhere.

       
This research project made use of a multi-method approach to achieve the research aims using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques as appropriate. A series of 'audits' of telephone calls took place at three time points to explore the usage and development of the telephone helpline during the course of the evaluation.
 
Qualitative interviews were planned with patient callers to explore the their motivations for contacting the telephone helpline and their views on the overall quality of the call. Interviews took place with key stakeholders involved in the management and operation of the helpline with the aim of exploring the processes of referral of callers, training of caller-handlers and information of local services.