Evidence map›Paper›PMID 19147478›Full record

Trial reportBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2009

Comparing hospital and telephone follow-up after treatment for breast cancer: randomised equivalence trial.

Kinta Beaver, Debbie Tysver-Robinson, Malcolm Campbell, Mary Twomey, Susan Williamson, Andrew Hindley, Shabbir Susnerwala, Graham Dunn, Karen Luker

Abstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
57citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

57 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  4. Specialist breast care nurses for support of women with breast cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021
    Pooled it
  5. Telephone interventions for symptom management in adults with cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020
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  11. A mindfulness-based program for improving quality of life among hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors: feasibility and preliminary findings.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2015
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Kinta BeaverSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, UK. kinta.beaver@manchester.ac.uk
Debbie Tysver-Robinson
Malcolm Campbell
Mary Twomey
Susan Williamson
Andrew Hindley
Shabbir Susnerwala
Graham Dunn
Karen Luker

Funding

Department of Health PB-PG-0610-22123Medical Research Council
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare traditional hospital follow-up with telephone follow-up by specialist nurses after treatment for breast cancer.

designA two centre randomised equivalence trial in which women remained in the study for a mean of 24 months.

settingOutpatient clinics in two NHS hospital trusts in the north west of England

participants374 women treated for breast cancer who were at low to moderate risk of recurrence.

interventionsParticipants were randomised to traditional hospital follow-up (consultation, clinical examination, and mammography as per hospital policy) or telephone follow-up by specialist nurses (consultation with structured intervention and mammography according to hospital policy).

main outcome measuresPsychological morbidity (state-trait anxiety inventory, general health questionnaire (GHQ-12)), participants' needs for information, participants' satisfaction, clinical investigations ordered, and time to detection of recurrent disease.

resultsThe 95% confidence interval for difference in mean state-trait scores adjusted for treatment received (-3.33 to 2.07) was within the predefined equivalence region (-3.5 to 3.5). The women in the telephone group were no more anxious as a result of foregoing clinic examinations and face-to-face consultations and reported higher levels of satisfaction than those attending hospital clinics (intention to treat P<0.001). The numbers of clinical investigations ordered did not differ between groups. Recurrences were few (4.5%), with no differences between groups for time to detection (median 60.5 (range 37-131) days in hospital group v 39.0 (10-152) days in telephone group; P=0.228).

conclusionsTelephone follow-up was well received by participants, with no physical or psychological disadvantage. It is suitable for women at low to moderate risk of recurrence and those with long travelling distances or mobility problems and decreases the burden on busy hospital clinics.

trial registrationNational Cancer Research Institute 1477.

Indexed as

TelephoneAdultAgedAmbulatory CareAnxietyBreast NeoplasmsEnglandFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalNurse-Patient RelationsPatient Acceptance of Health CarePatient Education as TopicPatient SatisfactionRemote Consultation

Identifiers

PMID19147478
PMCPMC2628299

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.