Anti-Infective Agents

Central Nervous System Depressants

All Drugs and Chemicals

Ethanol

During the 12-week intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive targeted weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to cancer prevention and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant cancer prevention information.

Participants in the control group will have access to the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion. These participants will be able to browse the Portal, subscribe to email alerts, follow social media, etc. but will not receive the tailored intervention.

Tailored knowledge translation strategies specific to evidence-based cancer prevention recommendations

Tailored knowledge translation

Maureen Dobbins, RN, PhD

The goal of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal is to be a trustworthy source for health information. The Portal team can see (through measuring analytics of website use) that thousands of people are using the Portal and the knowledge-sharing strategies in place (email alerts, Twitter and Facebook), with many more users added each month. Previous studies have measured the quality and trustworthiness of health information available online; others have studied the numbers and populations who use different types of information and how easy it is to use and understand. This study builds on that knowledge to find out: if easy-to-understand evidence-based messages reach members of the public, do these messages change what people know and think to do to stay healthy (in this case, what they know and think to do to lower their risk of cancer)?

Half of cancers are preventable through lifestyle modification such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing alcohol intake; however, few Canadians engage in behaviours that are in line with cancer prevention guidelines. This may be in part due to lack of access to evidence-based information and the mixed messages on effective cancer prevention strategies that are propagated in the popular media.

The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) is a knowledge translation (KT) tool launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. Citizen-friendly content (blog posts, evidence summaries, web resource ratings) provide easy-to-read 'bottom line' messages appropriate for all audiences. Investigators would now like to know if and how KT strategies used to disseminate citizen-targeted information on cancer prevention impact knowledge, behavioural intentions and health behaviours of Canadian adults.

This study will use a sequential mixed-methods design consisting of a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a qualitative process study to explore RCT findings in depth. This formative approach will allow for a deeper analysis of the outcomes of interest (knowledge, intentions and behaviours), and the KT process. Following baseline data collection, eligible participants will be randomized to a 12-week intervention or control group.

During the intervention, participants will have access to the Portal, be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed, and receive tailored weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries on cancer prevention. Control group participants will have access the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion, but will not receive KT strategies.

Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Cancer Prevention Behaviours in Underserved Populations

Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Knowledge, Behavioural Intentions and Health Behaviours Related to Cancer Risk in Underserved Populations.

Participants knowledge of cancer prevention recommendations and guidelines

Participants beliefs about the importance of lifestyle in prevention cancer

Participants intentions to engage in lifestyle behaviours in line with cancer prevention guidelines

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

McMaster University

Neoplasms

Digestive System Diseases

All Conditions

Rectal Neoplasms

Colorectal Neoplasms

Intestinal Neoplasms

Gastrointestinal Neoplasms

Digestive System Neoplasms

Gastrointestinal Diseases

Intestinal Diseases

Rectal Diseases

Quality Initiative in Rectal Cancer (QIRC) strategy

Marko Simunovic, MD

The Quality initiative in rectal cancer (QIRC) trial will test if a strategy designed to positively influence surgeon practice can decrease hospital rates of permanent colostomy and local tumour recurrence for surgically treated rectal cancer patients.

Approximately 5000 Canadians are annually diagnosed with rectal cancer. For patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery two unfortunate outcomes are permanent colostomy and local tumor recurrence. Research demonstrates that in Ontario, Canada and other parts of the world the standard of care for rectal cancer surgery leaves room for improvement.

This is a multi-center trial that will test if a set of interventions designed to positively influence surgeon practice, titled the Quality Initiative in Rectal Cancer (QIRC) strategy, can improve rates of permanent colostomy and local tumour recurrence for surgically treated rectal cancer patients. Secondary outcomes to be assessed include sexual, bowel, and bladder function, and quality of life. The QIRC strategy consists of a workshop to discuss quality issues in rectal cancer, operative demonstration to demonstrate optimal surgical techniques, the use of opinion leaders, and a postoperative questionnaire designed to prompt surgeons to re-examine their key operative steps. The QIRC strategy is largely designed to teach total mesorectal excision, a new gold standard for rectal cancer surgery that has been shown in non-randomized studies to lower patient rates of permanent colostomy and local tumour recurrence.

Sixteen hospitals across the province of Ontario were allocated by cluster randomization to the QIRC strategy (experimental arm) versus minimal intervention (control arm). All hospitals are high-volume centres - an annual rectal cancer procedure volume of 15 or greater. Hospitals in the control arm represent the normal practice environment. Approximately 700 patients will be assessed. In addition to measuring rates of permanent colostomy and local recurrence of tumour, the study will examine bowel, bladder and sexual function, and overall quality of life among patients.

A positive trial - better results in hospitals that receive the intervention - may suggest that to effectively influence surgeon practice, resource intense approaches are necessary along with active buy-in from the surgical community.

Study title	NCT ID	Conditions	Interventions	Eligibility	Organization	Link
Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Cancer Prevention Behaviours in Underserved Populations	NCT03186703	Cancer	Tailored knowle...	40 Years -	McMaster University
Quality Initiative in Rectal Cancer (QIRC) Trial	NCT00182130	Rectal Cancer	Quality Initiat...	0 Years -	McMaster University

Spots Global Cancer Trial Database for knowledge translation