Ka Ming Chow

The Effect of an App‐Based Multimodal Cancer Rehabilitation Programme on Sense of Coherence of Women With Gynaecological Cancer: Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial

ABSTRACTAimTo investigate the effects and cost‐effectiveness of an app‐based multimodal cancer rehabilitation programme promoting sense of coherence for women treated for gynaecological cancer, and to understand participants' experience of the programme.DesignAn assessor‐blinded, concurrent mixed‐method randomised controlled trial.MethodsGynaecological cancer patients (N = 160) will be recruited and randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 80) or an attention control group (n = 80). The intervention group will receive the multimodal cancer rehabilitation programme over 12 weeks, in which they will access a Hong Kong‐adapted version of the Australian Women's Wellness after Cancer Programme via a mobile application, plus three virtual individual counselling sessions and reminder phone calls. The attention control group will receive usual care plus telephone calls to deliver general greetings. The outcome variables of sense of coherence, cancer‐specific distress, health‐promoting behaviours and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) will be measured at baseline (T0), on the completion of the programme (T1) and 12 weeks after intervention completion (T2). HRQoL of the participants will be further reassessed every 3 months from T2 till 12‐month post‐intervention to evaluate cost‐effectiveness. Semi‐structured interviews will explore the participants' experience and perceptions of the programme. This study will adhere to the CONSORT‐EHEALTH checklist.ConclusionThis study will offer the first empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of the multimodal cancer rehabilitation programme in enhancing sense of coherence, reducing cancer‐specific distress, promoting positive lifestyle changes, and improving quality of life for women treated for gynaecological cancer.Implications for the Profession and/or Patient CareWomen treated for gynaecological cancer experience unmet rehabilitation needs, yet healthcare professionals might not have the time or resources to meet these needs after intensive treatment is complete. This digital intervention could be incorporated into routine service delivery and adapted to other female cancer groups to improve patient outcomes.Reporting MethodThis protocol adhered to the SPRIT 2013 statement.Patient or Public ContributionNone.Trial RegistrationISRCTN registry number: ISRCTN17629214 (registered in November 2023)

Randomised controlled trial of music listening combined with progressive muscle relaxation for mood management in women receiving chemotherapy for cancer

Abstract Aims To evaluate the effects of passive music listening combined with progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety, depression, stress, coping, and quality-of-life in women with breast and gynaecological cancers receiving chemotherapy. Methods This was an assessor-blinded, randomised wait-list controlled trial. A total of 120 participants were randomly allocated into an intervention group or a wait-list control group. The intervention group received an intervention comprising training on passive music listening and progressive muscle relaxation, with once-daily self-practice at home for 3 weeks. The wait-list control group received the same intervention after the outcome assessment at week 6. All outcome data were collected before (T0) and 3 weeks (T1), 6 weeks (T2), and 12 months (T3) after randomisation. A generalised estimating equations model was used to compare the changes in each outcome at different time points. Process evaluation was conducted using data from the patient’s self-report forms and interviews. Results The findings indicated that at T1 and T2, the intervention group’s reductions in anxiety were significantly larger than those of the control group. Additionally, the intervention group exhibited significantly better decreases in depression at T2, stress at T1, and dysfunctional coping at T2, and a greater improvement in quality-of-life score at T1 and T2 when compared to the control group. Most of the interviewed participants provided positive feedback on the intervention. Conclusions The intervention was beneficial for lowering anxiety, depression, and stress and increasing the quality-of-life of women receiving chemotherapy for breast and gynaecological cancers. Trial registration. The trial was prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov on 9 February 2022 (registration number: NCT05262621).