Chief Investigator - Prof Val Jenkins
Trial Coordinator - Lucy Matthews
Data Manager - Shirley May
Funder: Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance
Sponsor: Sussex University
As more people are surviving cancer, the NHS is prioritising support pathways to help survivors live well beyond their diagnosis. Traditional breast cancer follow-up involves regular clinic visits that may be impractical for women who have returned to work or caring duties.
The National Cancer Plan acknowledges personalised care and support, and recommends the implementation of supported self-management (SSM) pathways for patients who have completed secondary care treatment for their breast cancer.
SSM pathways allow patients to manage their health and report signs and symptoms as and when necessary, meaning less time spent attending follow-up clinic appointments. In Surrey and Sussex, some hospitals have implemented the SSM pathway for breast cancer for over two years and now want to assess the benefits and challenges for patients.
The Surrey and Sussex Cancer Alliance (SSCA) funded the PRAGMATIC Study to evaluate the pathway in the following hospitals:-
- Ashford and St Peter's Hospital
- Royal Sussex County Hospital
- Worthing Hospital
- Frimley Park Hospital
Women/men who had completed hospital treatment for their breast cancer and were about to join the SSM pathway were eligible. An inbuilt health economic evaluation assessed the impact on NHS costs.
Participants about to join the SSM pathway completed the follwing validated questionnaires to measure QoL, self-efficacy and general health:-
- Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Breast
- Patient Roles and Responsibilities Scale
- General Self-Efficacy Scale
- General Health Questionnaire
- EuroQol 5D
These questionnaires were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. A service use self-report form captured NHS costs.
A sub-set of 32 participants were interviewed at the same time points to explore their views and experiences in more depth.
This study provides valuable insights about SSM breast pathways from the patients' point of view, and any effect on their emotional and psychosocial wellbeing.
Current Stage:
Closed
Publication
Patients' experiences of a suppoRted self-manAGeMent pAThway In breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC): Quality of Life and Service Use Results https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-08002-zPublication
Patients' views and experiences on the Supported Self-Management/Patient initiatied follow up pathway for breast cancer https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-08115-5Poster
Patients' experiences of a suppoRted self-manAGeMent pAThway In breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC) posters/PRAGMATIC BPOS Poster 2020.pdf Presented at British Psychosocial Oncology Society (BPOS) Conference 2020Poster
Patients' experiences of a suppoRtedself-manAGeMentpAThwayIn breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC): 3 month Quality of Life Results posters/NCRI2021pragmaticQoL.pdf Presented at National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference 2021Poster
Patients' experiences of a suppoRted self-manAGeMent pAThway In breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC) posters/NCRI2021pragmaticInterviews.pdf Presented at National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference 2021Presentation
Navigating a supportive self-management pathway for breast cancer - understanding the lived experience Presented at International Psyco-Oconcology Society (IPOS) World Congress 2022Presentation
Patients' experiences of a suppoRted self-manAGeMent pAThway In breast Cancer (PRAGMATIC): Interview results Presented at European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Conference 2022Presentation
The PRAGMATIC Study Presented at Brighton Breast Day 2023