The B-POISED study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Does Personalised Stratified Follow-Up (PSFU) meet the health and wellbeing needs of people from under-served groups who have completed treatment for breast cancer? (The B-POISED study)

  • IRAS ID

    349922

  • Contact name

    Katie Sutton

  • Contact email

    k.sutton@surrey.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal Surrey Hospital NHS Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 8 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    NHS England recommends Breast Cancer services set up ‘Personalised Stratified Follow Up’ (PSFU). This means breast cancer patients will no longer attend hospital for routine ‘check-ups’ following treatment. PSFU requires patients to monitor their health and report symptoms, leading to concerns that PFSU may not be safe or offer a good experience for all patients.

    The aim of this study is to find out if PSFU meets the needs of people from under-served groups following treatment for breast cancer, and to make recommendations to improve PSFU experience.

    Study design

    This project involves 3 phases or ‘workstreams’:
    • Workstream 1 will find out what is already known about PSFU in breast cancer through
    a) review of existing research about PSFU in breast cancer.
    b) interviewing PSFU leads at each cancer alliance in England (total=21) to establish current provision. A cancer alliance is a group of key people involved in delivering cancer care in a local area.
    c) review of Office for National Statistics data to identify areas and types of under-served groups to focus on in workstream 2 and 3.

    • In workstream 2 we will interview 15 NHS staff involved in implementing and delivering PSFU at three cancer alliances, and up to five people who support people with breast cancer through charities, to explore their experiences of PSFU (total=20). Cancer alliances will be selected to ensure we include people from under-served groups.

    • Workstream 3 will involve interviewing up to 8-10 participants who identify as being on a low income or experiencing poverty in the three cancer alliances (total=24-30). Following this, we will invite interviewees to attend one of up to three focus groups, each with 6 participants (total=18). Each group will discuss our findings and their potential use in improving PSFU.

  • REC name

    South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    25/SC/0011

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Feb 2025

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion