New study explores how digital tools can personalize cancer care
NCT ID NCT05702684
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how a digital care planning tool (eHNA) can help personalize care for people with colorectal cancer. Researchers interviewed 76 patients and clinicians to understand what works and what doesn't. The goal was to identify best practices for using digital tools in cancer care and to improve the overall patient experience.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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76 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study will focus on colorectal (including metastatic disease but not end of life) cancer. This group of patients have immediate needs (i.e., body image, disruption in life), and require ongoing treatment (up to 15 years of treatment options). This tumour group also has a fairly equal age and gender distribution and is underrepresented in research (Sun et al., 2021). Changes to colorectal cancer care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic have also shown to increase healthcare inequalities (Ip et al., 2022). The study will focus on the eHNA process at diagnosis (within 31 days of diagnosis) because this is already a focus for services in terms of meeting NHS England key performance indicators.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Patients 1. Patients (who are living with and beyond colorectal cancer) who have agreed to complete the eHNA intervention within 31 days of diagnosis OR patients who received the ARC clinic HNA intervention. 2. Over 18 years of age 3. Speak a conversational level of English Patients will be sampled purposively to ensure a range of experiences. Patients will be sampled on ethnicity, gender, age, time since diagnosis, socio-economic status, and digital maturity, so that findings can also be used to explore and address cancer inequalities. Paired clinicians 1. Clinicians (e.g., CNS, AHP, cancer support worker) who work in cancer services and provide the eHNA/ARC intervention to (the recruited) patients who are living with colorectal cancer. 2. Over the age of 18 3. Speak a conversational level of English. Team members 1. Clinicians (e.g., CNS, AHP, cancer support worker) who work in the colorectal cancer team or who work in close liaison with the colorectal cancer team and are responsible for providing the eHNA and care planning consultation. 2. Over the age of 18 3. Speak a conversational level of English. Exclusion Criteria: Patients 1. Patients (who are living with and beyond cancer) who are receiving treatment but who have not agreed to complete an eHNA /patients who did not attend the ARC clinic. 2. Under 18 years of age 3. Do not speak a conversational level of English 4. Patients who lack capacity to consent Patients that are approached to take part in the study but who do not want to participate will automatically be excluded from the project. Insufficient ability to understand/speak English is an exclusion criterion for this study because the research uses audio recordings of verbal conversation and relies on understanding of written study materials in order to ensure informed consent. Participants with a low level of literacy (but with adequate conversational level of English) can be supported by having the researcher read out the participant information sheet and consent form, and to check for understanding. Paired Clinicians 1. Clinicians who do not provide the eHNA intervention /ARC intervention to patients who are living with and beyond cancer. Team members 1\. Clinicians (e.g., CNS, AHP, cancer support worker) who do not work in the colorectal cancer team or in close liaison with the colorectal cancer team.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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