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Exploring New Technologies to Manage Cancer Pain in the Community

Primary Purpose

Neoplasms, Pain

Status
Completed
Phase
Locations
Study Type
Observational
Intervention
Qualitative interviews
Sponsored by
University of Aberdeen
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an observational trial for Neoplasms focused on measuring cancer pain

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - undefined (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients

    • Adults, 18 years of age or over.
    • Established diagnosis of any cancer type.
    • Have experienced pain related to cancer or its treatment requiring any form of analgesic within the last three months.
    • Patients with all stages and grades of cancer who feel that they are willing and able to participate in an interview.

Caregivers • Caregivers aged 18 years of age or over who are or have been involved in providing care or assistance for somebody who has experienced cancer pain. Examples of caregivers might include family members, spouse, and close friends, who provide care and assistance to patients with cancer pain.

Professionals

• Registered doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who provide care for people with cancer pain.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • Non- English language speakers. Qualitative investigations will be reliant on communication in English. Specific words and phrases will be analysed by English speaking researchers in order to identify thematic content. This study does not include resources for interpreting services.

    • Patients who are thought to have entered the terminal stages of their illness will be excluded. This will be judged at recruitment by the screening clinician from the patient's general practice. In the case that a recruited patient has become too ill to participate in the research or has died before participation, and a linked caregiver has expressed interest in the study, the caregiver will be contacted, offered sympathies, and will be given the opportunity to withdraw from the study or continue as planned. All conversations about the study will be conducted in a supportive manner that recognises the sensitivity of the subject matter.
    • Patients who are registered at Great Western Medical Practice, Aberdeen (Rosalind Adam, researcher and interviewer practices as a doctor there).
    • Any participant who declines to take part.

Sites / Locations

    Arms of the Study

    Arm 1

    Arm 2

    Arm 3

    Arm Type

    Arm Label

    Patients with cancer pain

    Caregivers for those with cancer pain

    Healthcare professionals

    Arm Description

    Qualitative semi-structured interviews with patients who have experienced cancer pain

    Qualitative semi-structured interviews with caregivers who have cared for those who have experienced cancer pain.

    Healthcare professionals whose role involves the management of cancer pain.

    Outcomes

    Primary Outcome Measures

    Qualitative semi-structured interviews

    Secondary Outcome Measures

    Full Information

    First Posted
    January 14, 2015
    Last Updated
    January 20, 2016
    Sponsor
    University of Aberdeen
    Collaborators
    Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government
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    1. Study Identification

    Unique Protocol Identification Number
    NCT02341846
    Brief Title
    Exploring New Technologies to Manage Cancer Pain in the Community
    Official Title
    Exploring the Desirability, Feasibility and Practicalities of Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Improve Cancer Pain Management in the Community
    Study Type
    Observational

    2. Study Status

    Record Verification Date
    November 2015
    Overall Recruitment Status
    Completed
    Study Start Date
    February 2015 (undefined)
    Primary Completion Date
    August 2015 (Actual)
    Study Completion Date
    August 2015 (Actual)

    3. Sponsor/Collaborators

    Responsible Party, by Official Title
    Sponsor
    Name of the Sponsor
    University of Aberdeen
    Collaborators
    Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government

    4. Oversight

    Data Monitoring Committee
    No

    5. Study Description

    Brief Summary
    This interview and focus group study will explore patient, caregiver, and health professional opinions about the potential roles of digital technology to support effective cancer pain management. The views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this study will be used to design and develop a digital intervention which is likely to take the form of a measurement (pain and analgesic use) guided medication management intervention to improve cancer pain management in the community.
    Detailed Description
    Cancer is increasing in incidence and prevalence in the United Kingdom. Pain is the most frequent complication of cancer and cancer pain control is frequently suboptimal. Previous research has established several potentially modifiable reasons for suboptimal cancer pain management. These include: under-reporting of pain; inadequate communication about pain between patients and health care professionals ; inadequate assessment of pain by health care providers; inadequate analgesic prescribing; suboptimal adherence to prescribed analgesic regimens by patients; and failure to re-assess pain timeously. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a term used to describe all digital technologies that facilitate the electronic capture, processing, storage, and exchange of information. ICT could offer innovative solutions to suboptimal cancer pain management. Technological solutions might include electronic diaries, available as applications or "apps", which could encourage pain self-monitoring by people with cancer, and prompt medical assessment when pain is poorly controlled. Accurate patient reported pain data could help professionals to adequately assess pain and might influence the patient-professional consultation. Feedback of adherence data to patients and carers might improve the way that medications are used. Electronic medication adherence devices are currently available which can capture data on analgesic utilisation and timing. This data might be useful for health care professionals to inform safe and timely adjustments of analgesic doses (i.e. is pain control poor because of inadequate analgesic dose or because of non-adherence to the prescribed regime?). The aim of the proposed study is to explore the desirability, feasibility, and practicalities of using ICT to improve cancer pain management The proposed study would seek the views of patients with cancer pain, their caregivers, and health care professionals, about using technology to help with cancer pain management. The study will investigate the acceptability of electronic pain diaries and electronic medication adherence devices to patients and health care professionals, barriers to using such technology, and how data generated from technology might be used by patients, caregivers, and health care professionals to improve cancer pain management. This study will form part of a programme of research and data from the proposed study will be used to inform the potential development of a technological intervention to improve the management of cancer pain in the community.

    6. Conditions and Keywords

    Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
    Neoplasms, Pain
    Keywords
    cancer pain

    7. Study Design

    Enrollment
    50 (Actual)

    8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

    Arm Title
    Patients with cancer pain
    Arm Description
    Qualitative semi-structured interviews with patients who have experienced cancer pain
    Arm Title
    Caregivers for those with cancer pain
    Arm Description
    Qualitative semi-structured interviews with caregivers who have cared for those who have experienced cancer pain.
    Arm Title
    Healthcare professionals
    Arm Description
    Healthcare professionals whose role involves the management of cancer pain.
    Intervention Type
    Other
    Intervention Name(s)
    Qualitative interviews
    Primary Outcome Measure Information:
    Title
    Qualitative semi-structured interviews
    Time Frame
    Eight months

    10. Eligibility

    Sex
    All
    Minimum Age & Unit of Time
    18 Years
    Accepts Healthy Volunteers
    No
    Eligibility Criteria
    Inclusion Criteria: Patients Adults, 18 years of age or over. Established diagnosis of any cancer type. Have experienced pain related to cancer or its treatment requiring any form of analgesic within the last three months. Patients with all stages and grades of cancer who feel that they are willing and able to participate in an interview. Caregivers • Caregivers aged 18 years of age or over who are or have been involved in providing care or assistance for somebody who has experienced cancer pain. Examples of caregivers might include family members, spouse, and close friends, who provide care and assistance to patients with cancer pain. Professionals • Registered doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who provide care for people with cancer pain. Exclusion Criteria: • Non- English language speakers. Qualitative investigations will be reliant on communication in English. Specific words and phrases will be analysed by English speaking researchers in order to identify thematic content. This study does not include resources for interpreting services. Patients who are thought to have entered the terminal stages of their illness will be excluded. This will be judged at recruitment by the screening clinician from the patient's general practice. In the case that a recruited patient has become too ill to participate in the research or has died before participation, and a linked caregiver has expressed interest in the study, the caregiver will be contacted, offered sympathies, and will be given the opportunity to withdraw from the study or continue as planned. All conversations about the study will be conducted in a supportive manner that recognises the sensitivity of the subject matter. Patients who are registered at Great Western Medical Practice, Aberdeen (Rosalind Adam, researcher and interviewer practices as a doctor there). Any participant who declines to take part.
    Study Population Description
    Patients with cancer pain, their caregivers, and health care professionals.
    Sampling Method
    Non-Probability Sample

    12. IPD Sharing Statement

    Citations:
    PubMed Identifier
    32468132
    Citation
    Adam R, Bond CM, Burton CD, de Bruin M, Murchie P. Can-Pain-a digital intervention to optimise cancer pain control in the community: development and feasibility testing. Support Care Cancer. 2021 Feb;29(2):759-769. doi: 10.1007/s00520-020-05510-0. Epub 2020 May 28.
    Results Reference
    derived

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