Effects of a WhatsApp-assisted Prehabilitation for Patient Undergoing Elective Colorectal Cancer Surgery

NCT07376668 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: CIRB-2025-099-2
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goals of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the effects of a WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation for colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery. The main questions are: If the digital prehabilitation is feasible and acceptable by the colorectal cancer patient prior to elective surgery? If this prehabilitation helps to improve the postoperative complications, length of stay, physical activity and psychological well-being for colorectal cancer patients receiving surgery. Researcher will compare the prehabilitation plus standard care to standard care only to see if the prehabiliation helps the colorectal cancer patients. Participants will: 1) enrolled in a approximate 4 weeks (3 episodes/ week) prehabilitation program containing educational information of colorectal cancer, dietary advice, exercises training and psychological podcasting. 2) will answer the survey weekly and after surgery. 3) keep the standard care as per department guidelines

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer (Diagnosis)

Keywords

Prehabilitation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postoperative complications

  measured by the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), which integrates in a single formula all complications by severity, ranging from 0 (uneventful course) to 100 (death).

  Postoperative period: assessed up to first year postoperative

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Length of hospital stay (LOS)

  Postoperative period: assessed up to the first year postoperative

• Physical activity

  Assessments at baseline, weekly before the surgery and on the day of discharge: assess up to first year postoperative

• Gastrointestinal recovery

  Postoperative period: assessed up to 30 days postoperative

• Gastrointestinal function

  Postoperative period: assess up to 30 days postoperative

• Anxiety and depression

  Assessments at baseline and on the day of discharge: assess up to first year postoperative

Other Outcomes (1)

• Adherence to the prehabilitation

  From enrollment to the completion of study up to 18 months

Study Arms (2)

WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation

EXPERIMENTAL

Patient will receive WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation plus standard care

Other: Intervention; Other: Standard care

Standard care

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Intervention OTHER

In addition to standard care, participants will receive digital approach of WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation programme and then start the home-based training for about 3-4 weeks prior to the surgery. The WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation includes exercises training, dietary advice and psychological support. Contents will contain elements of physical training (e.g. aerobic and resistance exercises) and psychological therapy (e.g. meditation) will be delivered through WhatsApp at three sessions (day 1, 3 \& 5) per week for 30 minutes and 15 minutes respectively, educational information associated with colorectal cancer surgery and prehabilitation(e.g. high risks factors towards surgical complications) and dietary advices (e.g. recipes) will be delivered on weekly

Also known as: Prehabilitation

WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation

Standard care OTHER

Standard care as per department guidelines with ERAS protocol (including smoking cessation program, preoperative counselling, early rehabilitation program)

WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• diagnosis of colorectal-related cancer
• scheduled for elective colorectal cancer surgery as primary treatment
• aged 18 years or above
• expected surgery date more than 21 days
• able to collaborate in the study and sign the informed consent
• able to use WhatsApp application

You may not qualify if:

• identified or known premorbid, that inability to follow the programme
• able to understand written and spoken Cantonese/ Chinese

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hong Kong: lead
• Chinese University of Hong Kong: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Tseung Kwan O Hospital

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Colorectal Neoplasms; Disease

Interventions

Methods; Preoperative Exercise; Standard of Care

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Intestinal Neoplasms; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Digestive System Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Intestinal Diseases; Rectal Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Investigative Techniques; Perioperative Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Quality of Health Care; Health Services Administration; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation

Study Officials

• SHERING SUNG

  Chinese University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

SHERING SUNG

CONTACT

85222080980; sheringsung@link.cuhk.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: A computer-based randomization will be utilized to allocate patients into either one group. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either control group or intervention group. Block randomization was performed through a computer-generated sequence, and serial and opaque with sealed envelopes will be prepared in by independent staff not involved in clinical care or screening or assessment, in which will be used to conceal the sequence until the intervention as assigned at the outpatient preoperative clinic. A single blinded with outcome assessor will be conducted in both groups.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: RCT

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 13, 2026
• First Posted: January 29, 2026
• Study Start: January 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027
• Last Updated: February 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

HK (1)