LAUSR

Background: We have previously demonstrated the benefits of our hybrid clinic-home based model of prehabilitation on physical fitness, psychological wellbeing, and post-operative complications. Traditional models of prehabilitation that involved visits to a hospital and community centre have been disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We implemented a digital cancer prehabilitation service (DPS) for patients undergoing curative treatment for cancer. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the service through measuring recruitment and retention and the impact on health metrics before and after the completion of the 12-week programme. Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing surgery for cancer were asked to participate. We recorded the number of patients that accepted and that completed the DPS. Patients’ physical activity (steps count) was regularly monitored through a wearable activity tracker;patients were supported through video calls every week by the clinical team. At the beginning and at the end of the DPS, patients underwent a remote video-based exercise assessment. Finally, patients were asked to answer a health survey before and after the intervention. Results: Since September 2020, 44 (of 50 patients) were recruited (88%) of whom 40 completed the programme (90%). There was no deterioration in physical fitness from baseline to programme completion. Additionally, there was 40% increase in physical activity and significant reductions in self-reported measures for distress (55%), anxiety (30%), depression (50%), and anger (35%). Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a high recruitment and retention rate into the DPS for a group of NHS patients undergoing complex cancer treatment. We have also shown comparable health outcomes to our previously published clinic- home based hybrid model of prehabilitation. Further research is needed to demonstrate the impact on clinical outcomes such as treatment tolerance and quality of life. Legal entity responsible for the study: K. Moorthy. Funding: Innovate UK. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.