Digi-Do - a Digital Information Tool to Help Patients Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

NCT ID: NCT04394325

Last Updated: 2025-12-17

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-09-01

Study Completion Date

2023-11-30

Brief Summary

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This project uses participatory design combined with qualitative and quantitative methods to develop, explore and evaluate the usefulness of a digital information tool to prepare and support patients before, during and after RT as treatment for breast cancer.

Detailed Description

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The study is a prospective and longitudinal Randomised Control Trial (RCT) study with an Action Research (AR) participatory design approach, including mixed-method data collection, i.e., standardised instruments, interviews (face-to-face and telephone), diaries, observation, and time measurements. The timeline for the study is scheduled between autumn 2020 to spring 2022. The study will consist of two arms: A) an intervention group (n=80), who will receive standard care and information and the digital information tool; and B) a control group (n=80) who will receive standard care and information (verbal and written). Recruitment and randomisation will be completed at two hospitals in the South western part of Sweden.

As a pre-phase, a pilot study was performed for the development and testing of the digital information tool (Digi-Do), approved by the Regional Ethics Committee (Dnr 917-17) with 30 patients in total (15 women with breast cancer and 15 men with prostate cancer). According to the study's co-design, iterative methodology \[26-27 in manuscript\], changes have since been made to the digital information tool and a second version has now been developed for the full RCT. The present study has been approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr 2020-00170). An ongoing systematic literature review will also guide the present study, and the project is registered in PROSPERO (PROSPERO;168073).

The digital information tool applied in this project is divided into two separate but coherent applications (apps) for mobile devices: one (VR-app) with a guided tour of the RT-department with a voice-over to describe 360 images to create a sense of actually having visited the department prior to start of RT, and one (information app) containing information obtained through the pre-treatment phase. If a VR-effect is not desirable, the patient can complete the simulated study-visit on their mobile phone or tablet as well as present the images in the browser of an integrated media player. Three areas of information are available in the information app: 1) Q\&As from the existing written information, presented both in writing and a recorded voice; 2) practical information, such as maps, public transportation options with relevant links to public transport, telephone numbers, and information about possibilities for staying at the patient hotel; and 3) three short animated films about cancer and physical activity during RT.

Conditions

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Breast Cancer

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Group A) Intervention group

Group A) an intervention group (n=80) who will receive the standard care and information (oral and written) + the digital information tool.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Digital information tool

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The patients randomized to group A will receive verbal and written information regarding the digital information tool and how to use it, as well as verbal and written information about the study. They will also receive information about the different instruments and surveys they will be asked to answer at different occasions during the RT treatment period. The applied instruments for data collection will be administrated in person or by post at the baseline collection and by post (including pre-paid return envelope) on consecutive collections. Approximately 30 patients (in group A) will be asked to make regular notes in a notebook during the waiting period prior start of RT as well as during RT treatment period. Following completion of the RT treatment period individual in-depth and telephone interviews will take place with 10-12 patients that accept participation.

Group B) Control group

Group B) a control group (n=80) who will receive standard care and information (oral and written).

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Digital information tool

The patients randomized to group A will receive verbal and written information regarding the digital information tool and how to use it, as well as verbal and written information about the study. They will also receive information about the different instruments and surveys they will be asked to answer at different occasions during the RT treatment period. The applied instruments for data collection will be administrated in person or by post at the baseline collection and by post (including pre-paid return envelope) on consecutive collections. Approximately 30 patients (in group A) will be asked to make regular notes in a notebook during the waiting period prior start of RT as well as during RT treatment period. Following completion of the RT treatment period individual in-depth and telephone interviews will take place with 10-12 patients that accept participation.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

Adult patients (\>18 years):

* diagnosed with breast cancer, stage I-II not receiving adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy or anti-Her-2 treatment and
* with RT as additional treatment after surgery.
* ability to read, write and understand Swedish enough to adhere to the digital information tool and the applied instruments.
* that have access to a smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria

* not receiving RT have had RT before
* diagnosed with dementia
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Jonkoping University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Maria Brovall

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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maria brovall

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Jonkoping Univeristy Box 1026, 551 11 Jonkoping

Locations

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Sahlgrenska universitetssjukhuset

Gothenburg, , Sweden

Site Status

Countries

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Sweden

References

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Fristedt S, Smith F, Grynne A, Browall M. Digi-Do: a digital information tool to support patients with breast cancer before, during, and after start of radiotherapy treatment: an RCT study protocol. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2021 Feb 25;21(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s12911-021-01448-3.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33632215 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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JU 2020/1732-51

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id