Co-CaRe: A Collaborative Cancer Resource
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What works? Co-producing an evidence-based cancer staff wellbeing training toolkit and psychosocial patient reported experience measure to improve support for patients and their families living with cancer and its treatments
IRAS ID
324252
Contact name
Jenny Harris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 0 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Cancer diagnosis is psychologically demanding for patients, and oncology staff report high levels of stress due to feeling unprepared to provide the necessary psychosocial support to their patients. This project seeks to address this using a collaborative approach involving cancer patients, their relatives, and staff. Participants will be diagnosed with brain, lung, prostate, or skin cancer patients/their relatives/staff at Royal Surrey County Hospital who are over 18 years old and are able to provide consent.
The project has a multiple-phase design with two distinct work packages :
Work Package 1 aims to identify patients’, their relatives’, and staff priorities in cancer care. Firstly, a series of interviews will take place with patients and their relatives, and oncology staff. These will be used to identify key priorities which will then be assessed in collaborative workshops; one patient/relatives only, one staff only, and one combined. The findings from these will be used to create a care package that includes staff training resources and cancer wellbeing resources. This toolkit will then be tested and evaluated by an initial cohort of staff who did not contribute towards the workshops.Work Package 2 aims to create and evaluate a Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM). A rapid evidence review will be conducted to see what current measures are available. We will then develop a draft PREM that will be tested by patients for its coherence and relevance. Feedback received will be used to further develop and update the PREM to ensure its appropriateness.
Long-term anticipated benefits are that patients/relatives have a more positive experience of cancer services, and staff feel more confident in their ability to provide psychological support to patients/their relatives.
Research activities will take place both at St Luke’s Cancer Centre (Royal Surrey County Hospital), and online (Microsoft Teams). The study will last until 30th September 2023.
Summary of Results
Psychosocial care refers to the emotional, social and psychological support that patients receive during their healthcare journey. In cancer care, this includes helping patients cope with the emotional stress of their diagnosis, providing clear information about their treatment and offering practical support, like advice on managing side effects or connecting with others who understand their experience. It also involves making sure that patients feel heard, respected and involved in decisions about their care. This project aimed to improve psychosocial care for cancer patients by understanding how best to update training and support for cancer healthcare professionals, using feedback from patients, carers, and staff. It was structured as a quality improvement initiative (an organised approach to identify and address problems to maintain and promote high-quality care), informed by evidence, implementation science (the science of research uptake in practice), and behaviour change principles to ensure recommendations would be sustainable and effective.
This project involved interviews and workshops with patients, carers and healthcare professionals to identify where psychosocial care could be improved. Key findings included a need for more personalised support, better communication between patients and healthcare teams and more consistent emotional support. Patients also wanted to feel more involved in decisions about their care and have clearer information on treatment and side effects.
The findings emphasised the need for healthcare teams to improve communication, coordinate care better, and provide more personalised emotional support. It also highlighted that healthcare professionals need more training in how to provide this kind of care. Using evidence-based methods and behaviour change techniques could be used in future to create lasting improvements in cancer care, benefiting both patients and healthcare professionals.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/EE/0057
Date of REC Opinion
5 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion