Development and evaluation of decision-support tools in the clinic
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DISCUS: Development and evaluation of decision-support tools in routine oncology clinical practice
IRAS ID
342946
Contact name
Corinne Faivre-Finn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the decision-making processes around prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) treatment in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) through a comprehensive practice and needs assessment. There is a lack of research relating to the decision-making processes in the field of PCI and SCLC. This research will therefore fill a gap and develop deeper knowledge around the needs of stakeholders when making treatment decisions in SCLC.
The study will consist of 2 parts: recording of the consultations to gain insight into real practice and interviews with patients and supporters (family or friends who might not necessarily care for the patient, but supported them during the consultation) on their perceptions and experiences so that we may identify their priorities when making treatment decisions. All interviews and recordings will be analysed using qualitative methods.
Eligibility criteria include patients with SCLC undergoing standard of care treatment, clinical staff involved with PCI decision-making, and personal support ie family or friends who were involved in the PCI decision with the patient. The study will be conducted at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust or online via Teams and will last for 12 months.
Ultimately, this will provide the crucial information required to develop an intervention to support shared decision- making (SDM) between stakeholders when considering PCI or clinical trials. Thus, it will aid the development of an SDM intervention prototype. It is likely that the results will suggest the need to include a resource for patients to understand what is important to them when making such decisions. It may also help professionals to have these difficult conversations with patients and support their integration in current practice.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0160
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion