Project Summary

The Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC) was awarded funding to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and safety of remote exercise prehabilitation for cancer patients. The AWRC currently delivers a substantial rehabilitation service called Active Together (funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research) in collaboration with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. The project aimed to test the acceptability of delivering remote exercise to see if it has the potential to enhance patient outcomes, increase access and inclusivity, and reduce resource requirements for service delivery.

Feedback from the AWRC highlighted the challenges and successes of the project. The challenges documented included recruitment to the pilot, confidence in delivering remote exercise activities and digital accessibility for patients. Despite these challenges, the project made progress in evaluating the remote delivery approach. The results highlighted the potential benefits of remote exercise in addressing geographical and scheduling barriers, thereby reducing health inequalities in the long term.

Key Findings:

  • Remote prehabilitation has the potential to address geographical and scheduling barriers, contributing to the reduction of health inequalities.
  • Patients reported feeling safe and supported when participating in remote exercise sessions.
  • However, participants felt more confident after participating in face-to-face sessions first.
  • A strong motivator for patients is the social opportunities during the exercise sessions. Patients felt that the social aspect of remote delivery was not as enjoyable as the face-to-face classes.
  • Diverse patient needs and preferences must be considered when implementing remote prehabilitation, as it may only suit certain individuals.
  • The Active Together team continues to learn and enhance the online offer, ensuring that remote exercise remains an integral part of our service.

Q&A

More feedback from Liam Humphries, Project Lead can be found below

Could you describe your project, including your aims?

Our project aimed to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and safety of remote exercise prehabilitation for cancer patients to improve client outcomes, increase access and inclusivity, and reduce service resource requirements.

Did your project meet anticipated aims/objectives?

While we faced challenges, we made progress in evaluating the remote delivery approach and identified potential benefits for patients. We have been able to implement these learnings directly into the Active Together service.

What were your key lessons learned?

Understanding diverse patient needs, preferences, and tailoring interventions accordingly is crucial for the success of remote prehabilitation.

Will the project be continued – are there any plans for sustainability?

Yes, remote exercise will remain part of the Active Together service. Our aim is to take the learnings from this project to learn and improve the remote exercise offer. We plan to develop partnerships with healthcare providers to integrate remote prehabilitation into standard care pathways. Additionally, we will continue to evaluate and refine the remote delivery model and improve recruitment strategies.

For more information on this project, please contact Liam Humphreys l.humphreys@shu.ac.uk