Remote Home-Based Follow-Up After Surgery for Colorectal Cancer A Patient-Centered Program to Improve Quality of Life and Reduce Hospital Visits

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to develop and evaluate a personalized, patient-centered follow-up program for people who have had surgery to treat colorectal carcinoma without metastasis. The study focuses on improving quality of life and reducing stress by moving much of the follow-up care from hospital visits to the patients home. The program will be compared to standard follow-up care over 36 months to see if it maintains quality of life while decreasing the number of hospital appointments. The study involves home-based monitoring that includes regular blood tests to check carcinoembryonic antigen CEA levels using an automatic capillary blood withdrawal device every six months for the first two years and annually thereafter. Vital signs are measured quarterly during the first two years and every six months after that using a remote monitoring system. Quality of life is assessed through questionnaires at the same intervals. One in-hospital medical imaging exam is scheduled one year after surgery according to national guidelines. The follow-up is aligned with Dutch national recommendations and adapts to any updates. Participants will take part for 36 months, during which their quality of life and number of hospital visits will be monitored. Researchers will collect blood samples, vital signs, and questionnaire responses remotely from home, with one hospital imaging visit after one year. The primary outcomes measured are health-related quality of life using the EQ 5D-5L questionnaire and the count of in-hospital appointments. This approach aims to provide a fuller picture of patients health while reducing hospital stress and visits.

Patient-led Follow-up from Home After Surgery for Colorectal Carcinoma