Improving patient information about recovery after bowel surgery

Background and study aims
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Many patients with bowel cancer have an operation, followed by several months of recovery. There is guidance about eating and moving around after an operation but most hospitals give patients poor-quality information about their recovery, which is not accessible, engaging, or supportive. If people understand the recovery process and are more actively engaged in their own recovery, they may have a better and faster return to their everyday lives.
Recover Together is an information package (comprising a booklet, video and goal board) to support patients recovering from bowel surgery. The booklet and video give information about preparing for the operation, and recovering in hospital and at home. The goal board sits at the end of the patient’s hospital bed and is used to set daily goals for their inpatient recovery. These were developed by patients, clinicians and information design experts and are based on existing guidelines for recovery after bowel surgery. They are not currently used in the NHS.
This is a small study (called a feasibility study) which aims to find out whether it is worthwhile running a large trial to see how helpful the new Recover Together booklet, video and goal board are.
Who can participate?
Any patient aged 18 years or over who is due to have an operation for bowel cancer
What does the study involve?
Patients will be given the booklet and a link to the video before their operation. They will be asked to complete some questionnaires about their care, and how useful the booklet was. Some patients and staff will also be asked to give feedback in interviews with a researcher, and the researcher will visit hospital wards to see how the goal boards are used. The findings will help improve the Recover Together information, and tell us whether a large trial is worthwhile.