Parent-Caregiver Interview Study 

This request for participation in research has been approved by the Texas State Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Tricia Burke, an Associate Professor at Texas State University, is conducting a research study to better understand communication in the context of caregiving. You are being asked to participate in this study because you have been a caregiver for a child with a chronic condition or special needs for at least 6 months.

You must be at least 18 years old to participate in this study. Participation in this study is voluntary. You will be asked to complete a pre-interview questionnaire, which should take no more than 10 minutes to complete, and then a phone interview that will take approximately 30-45 minutes. Here is the link to the pre-interview questionnaire:

https://txstate.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eDvY6534GYRgeEJ

The phone interview will be audio recorded and then transcribed and analyzed by the primary researcher. The study involves no foreseeable serious risks. I ask that you try to answer all questions; however, if there are items that make you uncomfortable or that you would prefer to skip, you can decline to answer them. Your responses are confidential.

Possible benefits from the study are that I will learn more about communication challenges and successes that individuals face in their roles as caregivers. These challenges and successes will provide greater insight into the tensions that caregivers face and the ways that we can better support caregivers.

Reasonable efforts will be made to keep the personal information in your research record private and confidential. Any identifiable information obtained in connection with this study will remain confidential and will be disclosed only with your permission or as required by law. Only the primary investigator and the Texas State University Office of Research Compliance (ORC) may access the data. The ORC monitors research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research participants.

The data will be analyzed and presented at conferences and in peer-reviewed publications. Your name will not be used in any written reports or publications that result from this research. Pseudonyms will be used for any quotes or excerpts presented. Data will be kept in encrypted documents on a password protected, university laptop for three years (per federal regulations) after the study is completed and then destroyed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tricia Burke, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies (tburke@txstate.edu; 512.245.4064).

This project #7204 was approved by the Texas State IRB on April 2, 2020. Pertinent questions or concerns about the research, research participants’ rights, and/or research-related injuries to participants should be directed to the IRB chair, Dr. Denise Gobert – 512.716.2652 (dgobert@txstate.edu) or to Monica Gonzales, IRB Regulatory Manager – 512.245.2334 (meg201@txstate.edu).