A Novel Content and Usability Analysis of UK Professional Regulator Information About Raising a Concern by Members of the Public.

Background: Health and social care regulators ensure that professionals have the correct qualifications and experience to practice in their profession. Globally, there are over 130 regulators of nursing alone and 13 health and social care statutory regulators in the United Kingdom. The public are the largest source of concerns to regulators about the registrants' fitness to practise (FtP).

Aim: This study aimed to examine the amount, type and content of the information available from UK regulators and evaluate the usability of the process for members of the public considering raising a concern with a regulator about a registrant's fitness to practise (FtP) and the experience of those who had recently raised a concern.

Methods: The websites of the UK's 13 statutory health and social care regulators were searched between November 2021 and February 2022 for information about the process of raising a concern. Webpages and public-facing documentation were downloaded, and qualitative content analysis was conducted. The usability of regulator websites and the concerns referral form were assessed by 11 people using an adapted 'system usability scale'. Seven interviews, a focus group (n = 5) and a survey (n = 62) of people who had raised a concern were used to explore their experiences to validate our findings and recommendations.

Results: Themes were identified related to format and layout, the process and support to raise a concern, with wide variation found between regulators. Focus groups, interviews and surveys validated these findings.

Discussion And Conclusion: Information and the ease of finding this information are fundamental in promoting public confidence and trust in regulator purpose and process. When raising a concern, it is important that information is honest, clear and accurate and available in a range of different formats so that it suits the diverse needs of members of the public. Improvements in these processes could support regulators to better achieve their primary purpose of protecting the public.

Public Contribution: The public were consulted on our findings using two focus groups, seven interviews and 62 survey respondents. Our project advisory group of people with lived experience of involvement in FtP discussed the findings and contributed to the recommendations.

Trial Registration: N/A.