Global Patients is working with Vector Psychometric Group, LLC (VPG) is conducting individual interviews to learn about experiences of fatigue among people with Warm Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (wAIHA). VPG is a consulting firm that develops and tests patient-centered questionnaires used to assess medical treatments and devices.
What is the purpose of these interviews?
These interviews will provide adults living with wAIHA an opportunity to share their candid experiences with fatigue and to provide their views on a fatigue questionnaire. This will help VPG understand how well the questionnaire works and how to interpret the results. An accurate, comprehensive questionnaire can be used to understand whether or not treatments for wAIHA improve fatigue.
VPG will ask people to join a 1-hour individual interview online using Microsoft Teams. The goal of this interview is not to recruit for a clinical trial, but to understand peoples’ experiences with fatigue in wAIHA and their views about a fatigue questionnaire.
Who can participate?
VPG is looking for patients with wAIHA who are willing to participate in a 1-hour individual interview. Specifically, we are seeking those who:
- Are 18 years of age or older and live in the US
- Were diagnosed with wAIHA at least 3 months ago and are willing to obtain confirmation of diagnosis from their doctor (VPG will provide a confidential form for obtaining confirmation)
- Have received treatment for wAIHA
- Experienced fatigue due to wAIHA
- Are comfortable reading and speaking in English
- Are able to provide informed consent to participate in the study
- Are willing to participate in a virtual interview that is audio or video recorded and transcribed
When would the interviews take place, and what would it be like to participate?
Eligible participants will first complete an Informed Consent document. This form can be completed electronically or printed, signed, and scanned (or photographed) and then submitted electronically. It can also be sent through the mail. A VPG study contact listed below will be available to answer any questions before the informed consent is signed.
Eligible participants will be asked to obtain confirmation of wAIHA diagnosis by providing their doctor’s office with a unique link to a confidential electronic form on VPG’s secure study website. This form will be filled out online by the doctor’s office. This form will include only a study ID number created by VPG for the participant and will not include their name. VPG will also provide a HIPAA form for each participant to authorize their doctor to release limited health information to VPG. The exact information to be released will be specified on the HIPAA form. The requested health information is confirmation that
- the person has been diagnosed with wAIHA and has not been diagnosed with other forms of anemia or diseases that cause fatigue
- the diagnosis was made more than three months ago
- the person has received treatment for wAIHA
Interviews will take place at a time that works well for each participant. All information collected for the study will remain confidential and will be used to improve the measurement of fatigue for those living with wAIHA. As a thank you, VPG will provide each participant who completes an interview with an honorarium of $100 in the form of an electronic Mastercard gift card.
If you are interested in participating in this opportunity or have any additional questions, please contact:
Belen Bermejo
We look forward to hearing from you!
