Sussex Health Outcomes Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C)

We have developed reliable, validated patient reported outcome measures (PROMS) and co-ordinate or advise use of these within the psychosocial/QoL sub-studies of national and international clinical treatment trials.

We develop and evaluate interventions to help ameliorate the side-effects of otherwise efficacious cancer treatment.

We have produced many evidence-based education and communication skills training programmes and materials; these are used worldwide and evaluation shows that they enhance both the professional effectiveness and personal satisfaction of healthcare professionals. This in turn improves clinicians’ and nurses’ interactions with each other, and assists communication with patients about their diagnoses and management plans. We also make patient-friendly information films for patients contemplating entry into clinical trials and provide explanations about the many complex areas, risks and uncertainties of modern cancer treatment.

Our eclectic research programme ensures that we have important and relevant data with which to inform the development of interventions and also to update the content of communication skills materials. Over the years we have built up an invaluable network of patient groups, clinicians, nurses and others in major cancer centres throughout the world that maximises our opportunities to recruit people into our studies and to disseminate findings widely. Much of our research has influenced policy and practice in cancer.

The academic background of SHORE-C members is primarily neuropsychology, experimental, social and health psychology not clinical psychology or psychiatry. This distinction influences both the areas in which we conduct research as well as the theoretical and methodological orientation of the group.