Facilitators and barriers to self-management in CCS

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Facilitators and barriers to self-management in childhood and adolescent cancer survivors: a qualitative study

  • IRAS ID

    204260

  • Contact name

    Linda Sharp

  • Contact email

    linda.sharp@ncl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are at risk of a number of chronic health problems. Patient engagement in healthcare via self-management is widely recognised as crucial to improved outcomes. In cancer survivors, self-management is a person’s active participation in their rehabilitation to minimise treatment consequences and promote survival, health and well-being. Self-management has been identified as a key principle of high-quality care for CCSs. However, although there is considerable research on self-management in survivors of adult cancers, little is known about self-management in CCSs.

    This qualitative study aims to explore self-management in CCSs to gain an understanding of survivors’ experiences, views and attitudes towards self-management of health and understand the factors which act as barriers or facilitators to CCS effectively self-managing their own health.

    The study will invite CCSs to take part in an interview. Eligible CCSs will be young adults aged 18-39 years who were diagnosed with cancer at 18 years old or younger, who are now free of their original cancer and are at least 3 years from diagnosis. Eligible CCSs will be identified from the Northern Region Young Person’s Malignant Disease Registry (NRYPMDR) and patient lists for follow-up clinics at the Great North Children’s Hospital. In both instances, the CCSs care team will act as ‘gatekeepers’ in that no patient data or details will be passed onto the research team without prior consent from the patient.

    We expect to interview approximately 25-30 CCSs. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to enable a full exploration of participants’ views on self-management. A subsequent phase of analysis will use the Framework method informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify specific influences on self-management behaviour in CCSs.

    Information from this study will help to inform the need for and the development of self-management interventions in CCSs.

  • REC name

    London - City & East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/LO/2267

  • Date of REC Opinion

    22 Dec 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion