Oral Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Adapting a web-based intervention (RESTORE) to support self-management of cancer-related fatigue in people living with a brain tumour (#85)

Rachel Campbell 1 , Joanne M Shaw 1 , Hannah Banks 1 , Thomas Carlick 1 , Mona M Faris 1 , Megan S Jeon 1 , Dianne M Legge 2 , Claire Foster 3 , Robyn Leonard 4 , Raymond J Chan 5 , Meera R Agar 6 , Annie Miller 1 , Haryana M Dhillon 1
  1. University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Olivia Newton-John Cancer & Wellness Centre, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
  3. Centre for Psychosocial Research in Cancer: CentRIC+, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
  4. Brain Cancer Collective, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, Sydney, Australia
  5. Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
  6. Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation (IMPACCT), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia

Aims
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a debilitating symptom commonly reported by people with a brain tumour (BT). RESTORE is an online intervention that has demonstrated preliminary efficacy in enhancing self-efficacy to self-manage CRF following primary cancer treatment. Previous evaluations of RESTORE did not include people with BT. Given the unique functional deficits experienced by people with BT, we aimed to explore the appropriateness of RESTORE to support self-management of fatigue in this population, and identify modifications required. 

Methods
We conducted semi-structured interviews with people with BT, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) who treat them. Before the interview, participants viewed a video summarising the intervention components and accessed the intervention. Interviews explored the appropriateness of RESTORE for this population, and modifications to improve its relevance and suitability. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically using interpretive description to devise recommendations.

Results
We interviewed 40 participants (24 people with BT, 5 caregivers, 11 HCPs). We identified four themes: 1) feedback on content; 2) feedback on format; 3) feedback on use; and, 4) barriers to engagement. These themes were linked by an overarching need for flexible and responsive tailoring to the unique needs of people with BT. We derived 32 recommended modifications from feedback to optimise RESTORE for this population.

Conclusion
Our results suggest a BT-specific version of RESTORE is desirable and would be acceptable to address fatigue self-management in this population. However, to be effective for people with BT, adaptations such as greater flexibility and tailoring of content and format are required. Based on these recommendations, we are developing a BT-specific version of RESTORE; the prototype will be presented at the conference. Barriers to engagement including digital access and literacy, caregiver burden, and awareness of the resource, will need to be addressed in the implementation of this BT-specific version of RESTORE.