How important are therapeutic relationships in cancer rehabilitation?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the importance of the therapeutic relationship during cancer rehabilitation: Using the Delphi technique to gain consensus.
IRAS ID
183806
Contact name
Wendy M Wilkinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
ABMU Health Board
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
CRD42015014768, PROSPERO submission for integrative literature review
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The incidence of cancer is increasing. Cancer statistics estimate that one in three people living in the United Kingdom will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Advancements in screening programmes and treatment outcomes now places cancer alongside other long term conditions in relation to the need for developing better ways to help people to live well for longer periods of time.
Cancer rehabilitation is an emerging specialty, with growing evidence supporting the use of education, physical activity and behaviour change techniques to help people affected by cancer to manage their condition. However, there is something missing from these approaches, meaning people with cancer could better manage their conditions in the long term if services could be improved.
Effective, sustainable self-management services, which are built on sound therapeutic relationships between healthcare recipient and healthcare professional, have been identified by the Andrews Report as a crucial element in recent critical healthcare failings in South Wales. Despite the Bevan Commission’s recommendation for prudent healthcare which includes principles supporting person-centred and high quality evidence-based interventions throughout service design policies; there appears to be a loss in translation between the idea and the practice of building meaningful therapeutic relationships in the healthcare setting. Within Wales, a Macmillan survey of people affected by cancer found that healthcare recipients feel healthcare professionals could improve their level of therapeutic engagement.
This research will aim to scope the opinion of adults affected by cancer, who are past or present rehabilitation participants, to gain a greater understanding of the importance of the therapeutic relationship with healthcare providers during cancer rehabilitation in their recovery. This study will aim to use interviews and questionnaires to answer the question: how important is the therapeutic relationship to adults affected by cancer in making the most of rehabilitation?REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
15/WA/0331
Date of REC Opinion
24 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion