Improving patient information about recovery after bowel surgery

ISRCTN ISRCTN62430915
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN62430915
IRAS number 325201
Secondary identifying numbers CPMS 58103, IRAS 325201
Submission date
02/10/2023
Registration date
10/10/2023
Last edited
10/04/2025
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Ongoing
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data
Record updated in last year

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Many patients with bowel cancer have an operation, followed by several months of recovery. There is guidance about eating and moving around after an operation but most hospitals give patients poor-quality information about their recovery, which is not accessible, engaging, or supportive. If people understand the recovery process and are more actively engaged in their own recovery, they may have a better and faster return to their everyday lives.
Recover Together is an information package (comprising a booklet, video and goal board) to support patients recovering from bowel surgery. The booklet and video give information about preparing for the operation, and recovering in hospital and at home. The goal board sits at the end of the patient’s hospital bed and is used to set daily goals for their inpatient recovery. These were developed by patients, clinicians and information design experts and are based on existing guidelines for recovery after bowel surgery. They are not currently used in the NHS.
This is a small study (called a feasibility study) which aims to find out whether it is worthwhile running a large trial to see how helpful the new Recover Together booklet, video and goal board are.

Who can participate?
Any patient aged 18 years or over who is due to have an operation for bowel cancer

What does the study involve?
Patients will be given the booklet and a link to the video before their operation. They will be asked to complete some questionnaires about their care, and how useful the booklet was. Some patients and staff will also be asked to give feedback in interviews with a researcher, and the researcher will visit hospital wards to see how the goal boards are used. The findings will help improve the Recover Together information, and tell us whether a large trial is worthwhile.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
There are no serious anticipated risks of taking part in the study. Whilst the researchers cannot be certain about the benefit of the information resources right now, this work will may benefit those taking part and in the future.

Where is the study run from?
University of Leeds (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2022 to July 2025

Who is funding the study?
National Institute for Health and Care Research (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Dr Steve Chapman, s.chapman@leeds.ac.uk

Contact information

Dr Stephen Chapman
Principal Investigator

Clinical Sciences Building
St James’s University Hospital
Leeds
LS9 7TF
United Kingdom

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0003-2413-5690
Email s.chapman@leeds.ac.uk

Study information

Study designInterventional non-randomized study
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designNon randomised study
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleImproving recovery after bowel cancer surgery: Mixed-method feasibility study of a co-produced information intervention (Recover Together)
Study acronymRecover Together
Study hypothesisFeasibility hypothesis 1: The Recover Together intervention can be feasibly delivered in NHS practice
Feasibility hypothesis 2: A definitive study of the Recover Together intervention can be feasibly delivered in the future
Ethics approval(s)Approved 31/08/2023, West of Scotland Research Ethics Service (Ground Floor Ward 11, Dykebar Hospital, Grahamston Road, Paisley, PA2 7DE, UK; +44 (0)141 3140212; WoSREC3@ggc.scot.nhs.uk), ref: 23/WS/0136
ConditionColorectal surgery
InterventionRecover Together intervention comprising of:
1. Recover Together booklet
2. Recover Together video
3. Recover Together goal board

The total duration of the intervention is 3 months.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureIntervention feasibility measures:
1. Time taken for intervention set up across participating sites measured according to time from HRA approval to first enrolment
2. Compliance with core processes per resource measured according to the proportion of core processes satisfied per resource
3. Compliance with all core processes per participant measured according to the proportion of all core processes satisfied

Study method feasibility measures:
1. Return rate per measurement instrument measured according to the rate of return per instrument
2. Return rate of all instruments per participant measured according to the overall rate of return per participant
3. Rate of missing cost/resource utilisation data measured according to the rate of missing data points

All of the feasibility endpoints are measured once at the end of the study
Secondary outcome measuresClinical instrument measures:
1. Patient satisfaction measured using the Bauer Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire on Day 1 after surgery
2. Patient well-being measured using the Quality of Recover-15 survey at baseline and on Day 3 after surgery
3. Health-related quality of life measured using the EQ-5D-5L at baseline, Day 30, and 6 months after surgery
4. Functional status measured using the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 at baseline and 6 months after surgery
5. Resource use using a bespoke resource-use questionnaire measured at baseline and 6 months after surgery
Overall study start date01/10/2022
Overall study end date31/07/2025

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsPlanned Sample Size: 105; UK Sample Size: 105
Participant inclusion criteriaTo be eligible for the study, patients must satisfy all of the following inclusion criteria:
1. Aged >= 18 years
2. Able to provide written informed consent
3. Planned to undergo elective colorectal surgery (with or without a stoma)
4. Indication for surgery is for suspected or confirmed colorectal cancer

For the staff interviews, we will include staff who have experience of introducing the video and booklet in outpatient clinics, and/or delivering the goal board on the ward, as well as staff who have trained other staff in how to deliver the intervention.
Participant exclusion criteriaNo further exclusion criteria will apply although participants will be required to understand either English or Urdu language. There will be no exclusions based on literacy or disability.
Recruitment start date01/11/2023
Recruitment end date01/11/2024

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

St James University Hospital
Gledow Wing
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7TF
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Leeds
Hospital/treatment centre

Woodhouse Lane
Leeds
LS2 9JT
England
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)113 3437587
Email governance-ethics@leeds.ac.uk
Website http://www.leeds.ac.uk/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/024mrxd33

Funders

Funder type

Government

National Institute for Health and Care Research
Government organisation / National government
Alternative name(s)
National Institute for Health Research, NIHR Research, NIHRresearch, NIHR - National Institute for Health Research, NIHR (The National Institute for Health and Care Research), NIHR
Location
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date01/04/2026
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planThe study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal approximately 12 years after the final study end date. It will also be disseminated at professional conferences and through networks of doctors, nurses, surgeons, and patients.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during the current study will be available upon request and following consideration of a statistical analysis plan. These requests should be sent to the main contact (Dr Steve Chapman; s.chapman@leeds.ac.uk). If approved, data will be provided in anonymised form.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol article 04/11/2024 06/11/2024 Yes No

Editorial Notes

10/04/2025: The overall end date was changed from 01/04/2025 to 31/07/2025.
06/11/2024: Publication reference added.
02/10/2023: Trial's existence confirmed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) (UK).