Elvan - Interview 15

Age at interview: 84

Brief Outline: Elvan took part in a trial of medication for hypertension. His blood pressure did not improve much, but he felt well cared for and is glad to have taken part. He has since joined another trial in the same unit.

Background: Elvan is a retired post office delivery worker. He is divorced, and has 4 grown-up children. Ethnic background/nationality' Black Caribbean.

More about me...

Elvan has hypertension and was invited by his GP to join a trial of drugs to treat the condition. He joined the trial hoping that they would find a drug which worked for him, but in fact there was little improvement in his blood pressure during the trial. His main reason for taking part was for the benefit of his own health, and he has enjoyed the rapport he has built up with the staff running the trial. However, he is also pleased that other people may benefit from the medical knowledge gained during the trial, even if it has not made much difference to him personally.

 

Elvan was not particularly concerned to get detailed information about what the trial involved, and feels you have to trust doctors to do what is best for you. He feels he was very well cared for during the trial, and by his GP, and he has recently agreed to take part in another trial run by the same unit. His advice to others thinking about a trial is to go for it.

Elvan joined a trial mainly because he hoped it would benefit him but it made little difference...

Do you think it’s important for people to take part in research projects?

 

I would say yes. Because, because of that they get to know how not to or a way how to treat certain conditions, certain sicknesses, certain disease, yeah.

 

So even though it didn’t seem to work in your case?

 

Not wholly [laughs]. I think partially. I think it worked partially, not wholly.

 

Because that’s, that’s quite interesting, because you, you went in hoping that you would benefit.

 

Yeah, totally, uh-huh. I wished that would happen.

 

And now, looking back, actually even though you didn’t really benefit a great deal, you’re still quite happy to have done it?

 

Yes, I am, yes. Mm.

 

My experience, from my experience, I would say, well, if, if you’re asked to take a trial for whatever purpose, I would say, “Go ahead and do it, yeah.” It can only, good can only come of it, in my estimation, yeah. And that is you’re helping yourself and help other people who might come after you.

 

How important was it to you thinking about helping other people when you decided to take part? Was that part of your decision?

 

Not really. No, my decision was personal, really. But I know that what is good for me is good for the goose or the gander as well. So [laughs], so from my point of view if I, if I could , there’s somebody else who might need the same type of treatment to make them good. So it’s all right.

Elvan feels you need to trust your doctors as the experts. It didn't matter to him which group he...

Well, you’ve got to trust them [doctors], you’ve got to trust them. Whether they are good or not, you’ve got to trust them. They are the ones who go to the medical school to, for the purpose of helping those who are sick and all that. So you’ve got to trust them.

 

As I said before all that I’m concerned is what they are doing, or what they can do to help me to bring back my blood pressure down to normality. That’s what I was concerned about. Whether it was one group or the other don’t matter to me. 

 

Elvan missed the trial when it ended. He liked the research team and was disappointed they hadn't...

When the trial ended, how did that feel when, when you weren’t going up to the hospital any more and were back to your GP? Was that okay? Or did you miss going to the hospital?

 

I missed going there, I missed going there.

 

Why was that?

 

Because I thought eventually they would, they would have more success. So I missed going there. I don’t mind taking the time go there.

 

So it’s kind of disappointing really that, that you haven’t improved more?

 

Yes, yes, yes, I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed, yes.

 

What were the things you particularly liked about the way that you were cared for there?

 

Yes, I think I was cared for all right. I think I was cared for all right, yeah.

 

Were there particular things, I mean was it they way that they talked to you or, what made it so good, going to the hospital?

 

I, as I say, I had a good rapport with them, you see. And so, you know, it was all quite nice. As a matter of fact, I really looked forward to going there, just to see them and just to have a laugh, talk and have a laugh with them, yes.