Developing an intervention to prevent body distress in stoma patients.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Psychological prehabilitation in cancer care: Development of a novel intervention to prevent body image distress in patients preparing for stoma surgery.
IRAS ID
364178
Contact name
Ali Alshukry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 22 days
Research summary
Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for 11% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the UK, and many patients with this diagnosis require a stoma. Having a stoma can cause significant psychological distress, particularly with regards to a persons body image. Currently, there are no psychological interventions which can prevent body image difficulties for these patients, even though improving this could support better recovery after cancer treatment.
This research will co-produce the initial materials of an online psychological intervention to prevent body image distress in colorectal cancer patients preparing for stoma surgery. Six 2-hour workshops (some online, some in-person) will bring together 8 patients with lived experience of body image difficulties following stoma surgery and 8 healthcare professionals working in cancer care. They will be recruited through local cancer services and support groups.
The workshops will use structured methods (Nominal Group Technique) and open discussions to prioritise what content the intervention should cover, develop prototype materials, and refine the theoretical model explaining how and why the intervention is expected to work (i.e. - programme theory). Data will be analysed using a framework analysis approach that combines both inductive and deductive methods.
This research will be funded by the University of Nottingham and will run from May-October 2026. It is hoped that the initial intervention produced by this research can be tested in future studies and work towards future implementation in clinical practice.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0033
Date of REC Opinion
24 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion