E-IMMUNE CO-DESIGN
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Empowerment of patients and clinicians in the management of immunotherapy toxicity through a new digital care pathway: E-IMMUNE CO-DESIGN. Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research
IRAS ID
352967
Contact name
Janet E Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
A treatment called ‘immunotherapy’ has improved survival from many common cancers by giving drugs which enable the patient’s own immune system to destroy cancer cells. However, many patients experience early side-effects (toxicities) which can be severe and need urgent treatment. Other patients can have side-effects which appear later. Management of these toxicities currently places huge demands on NHS services. We need new ways of managing these side-effects safely, to improve patient’s lives and reduce demand on already stretched hospital services.
Our research will determine if these needs can be met by a new digital approach where patients use a special digital application, on their smartphone or tablet. Hospital staff can monitor patients more regularly on the digital application and provide advice regarding need for treatment. Patients will benefit from recognition and early treatment of immunotherapy toxicity.
A key part of the design of our digital application is understanding what people using the digital application (including healthcare professionals (HCPs)) want to see. We need to collect this information from the people that will use it. To achieve this we will ask participants to complete questionnaires. We will also conduct interviews/focus groups and user experience testing. Using these co-design approaches we will involve future application users in its development.
We hope that this new approach will lead to improvements in patient outcomes, including health-related quality of life and a reduction in time spent in hospital.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/1004
Date of REC Opinion
5 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion