Information Needs around Parenteral nUTrition in cancer: INPUT v1.0

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    What information do patients and carers need to make an informed decision to commence and discontinue parenteral nutrition, in advanced cancer?

  • IRAS ID

    276014

  • Contact name

    Clare Shaw

  • Contact email

    clare.shaw@rmh.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    The Royal Marsden

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NCT04495530, www.ClinicalTrials.gov

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 9 months, 8 days

  • Research summary

    This is an exploratory, qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, with patients with advanced cancer, and their carers

    Participants in this study will be:
    -Patients with advanced cancer receiving parenteral nutrition (PN)
    -Patients with advanced cancer making a decision to commence or discontinue PN
    -Carers of patients with advanced cancer receiving/ or who have received PN
    -Carers of patients with advanced cancer who are making a decision to commence, or discontinue PN.

    15 patients, and 15 carers will be recruited in total, from 4 hospital sites (The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, St Mark's Hospital, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust).

    The aims of the research are:
    1. To undertake a scoping review of the literature around experience, decision-making and information needs regarding commencing and discontinuing PN, in advanced cancer, in order to determine the evidence gaps in this area
    2. Conduct qualitative, semi-structured interviews with patients and carers who are considering or have experienced PN in advanced cancer, to describe the information needs of both patients and carers to make an informed decision.

    This research is important as palliative care in an under-researched area of practice. A review of the literature shows there is some research around the experience of patients with advanced cancer on home PN, and their carers. However, there is little research specific to decision-making, and no identified research around the information needs of patients and carers to make an informed decision about starting and stopping PN.

    Shared decision-making is acknowledged as best practice, however it is not clear how well this is delivered in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the information needs of patients and carers, in order to make recommendations to improve shared decision-making, around commencing and withdrawing PN in advanced cancer.

    RM Partners West London Cancer Alliance, North Central and East London Cancer Alliance (NCELCA), South East London Cancer Alliance (SELCA), and The Royal Marsden and ICR, and Imperial BRC’s have funded this research.

  • REC name

    North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    20/NE/0277

  • Date of REC Opinion

    14 Dec 2020

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion