ePainQ: Feasibility study

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  ePainQ - a web-based pain self-management system for patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer: Feasibility study

• IRAS ID

  234249

• Contact name

  Sue Hartup

• Contact email

  s.hartup@nhs.net

• Sponsor organisation

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 9 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  45,000 breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the UK with disease free survival having increased significantly. Survivorship issues include pain, with more than 25% of patients having long term side effects affecting quality of life. Effective pain management may result in improved clinical outcomes. The Government's Cancer Reform Strategy recommends patients be supported in self-management.
  80% of surgery is undertaken as day-cases, reducing time available for pre-operative education and asking questions post-operatively. The transition of acute to chronic post-operative pain is complex, but unresolved acute pain contributes to developing chronic pain. Maximising acute pain management is, therefore, a high priority
  This is a feasibility study of a web-based pain self-management system aimed at providing support for acute post-operative pain and enhancing patient care. The ePainQ symptom questionnaire provides patients with immediate graded advice dependent on severity of issues reported. Information about self-managing these issues are provided via instructions in ePainQ with hyperlinks to more detailed advice on the ePainQ website. Patients log on daily post-operatively to complete the symptom questionnaire.
  Women with invasive/non-invasive breast carcinoma due to be treated by surgery with curative intent will be approached to take part in this study. We will invite consecutive eligible patients, consenting as many willing patients as possible within a fixed 12 month recruitment period. There are 2 arms to the study: intervention -using ePainQ intervention & standard care and a cohort (control) arm, which will be standard care only.
  Primary aim: To test the feasibility of a web-based pain self-management system for breast cancer patients undergoing surgery
  Secondary aims: 1. a) Examine preliminary effectiveness of the system (impact on outcome measures, pain etc.) b) Explore the potential associations between breast density, post-surgical scarring and pain and outcomes
  2. To explore staff use and perceived usefulness of ePainQ in clinical consultations

• REC name

  North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  18/NW/0343

• Date of REC Opinion

  30 May 2018

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion