Supportive Cancer Care and Long-Term Conditions

PEPPER (Patient Empowerment through Predictive PERsonalised decision support) is an EU-funded research project which aimed to improve self-management of T1D through the development of a novel decision support system (DSS).  PEPPER comprises an artificial intelligence (AI) insulin bolus recommender, coupled with a safety system. A personalised case-based reasoning (CBR) algorithm makes insulin dosing recommendations and model-based reasoning  predicts adverse events and detects faults in the system.

This research programme is developing and trialling a patient-centred, tailored intervention to reduce poor adherence to AET and improve quality of life and, in the longer-term, reduce recurrence, in women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer.

PET-CT guided, symptom-based, patient-driven surveillance versus clinical follow-up in head neck cancer (PET NECK 2). People with head and neck cancer who are low risk of recurrence following a PET CT scan at one year post treatment will be randomised into patient initiated follow-up with an urgent two week referral into the clinic if they identify worrying symptoms or usual clinical follow-up with appointments every 3-6 months for five years.

This research programme has developed and trialled an online intervention to support healthy lifestyles and psychological wellbeing in breast, colorectal and prostate cancer survivors.

This study is using an online survey with health care professionals, and interviews with patients and key stakeholders to describe current provision of emotional and psychological support for patients with haematological cancers.

Community and hospital pharmacists’ views and current practice on smoking cessation and the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. This study is an online survey with community and hospital pharmacists. It follow on from the work also funded by Cancer Research UK exploring the knowledge, attitudes and current practice of health professionals regarding the use of e-cigarettes and other smoking cessation interventions in cancer survivors.

The study aims to identify barriers and enablers of bowel cancer screening uptake, and approaches that could increase uptake in South Asians living in a diverse area of Oxford, and co-develop a community-based intervention to increase uptake in this population group.

This study explores patients’ wellbeing, experiences and needs following the diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancer with different modalities. Results of the study will be used to develop aids for patients and clinicians which will assist decision-making and improve our understanding of the impact of these different modalities of treatment to provide a patient-centred approach to counselling.

This project comprises a 3 stage study that has explored caregivers’ support and education needs when caring for someone with Heart Failure (HF). Two phases are completed: semi-structured interviews with 17 caregivers and the design of a support intervention with HF specialist nurses and input from PPI group and caregivers. The third stage is to implement a support and education intervention which will be progressed once face to face contact is allowed.

A feasibility and acceptability project.

Integrated approach to diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus and mental health conditions in secondary mental health services - a feasibility study using the Clinical Records Interactive Search system.

Clinicians' perceptions of their role.

UK-wide PROMS study with qualitative sub-study, involving over 35,000 men, and seeking to describe quality of life beyond diagnosis and treatment.