Subsequent healthcare resource utilisation in patients discharge from Emergency Care after a presentation with acute severe headache – a feasibility study with hypothesis generating mixed methodsanalysis.

This study will look at a purposeful sample of patients presenting with acute severe headache to the ED, who have subsequently used subsequent healthcare resource use.

Sample size
Within IPA there is no set limit on sample size. Indeed, there is a consensus that samples are small to allow a detailed analysis of each participant. Turpin et al recommend a sample of around six to eight participants for IPA.[21] The focus of IPA is deep case-by-base analysis rather than more superficial analysis of multiple participants.

Method of approach
As outlined in the informed consent section of the protocol, participants recruited and who consented to the study will be contacted for interview as soon as practically possible after resource use. Consent for interview will be recorded. Due to the current unpredictable situation with the Coronavirus, interviews will be conducted either over the telephone or by video conferencing.