Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39779532›Full record

Trial reportSurgical endoscopy2025

The impact of an interactive online informational and peer support application (app) for patients with low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) on quality of life: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Jeongyoon Moon, Olivia Monton, Allister Smith, Marie Demian, Sarah Sabboobeh, Richard Garfinkle, Martha Chamdroka, Carl Brown, Sami Chadi, Erin Kennedy and 8 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Surgical endoscopy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Jeongyoon MoonMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Olivia MontonMcMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Allister SmithWestern University, London, Canada.
Marie DemianMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Sarah SabboobehMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Richard GarfinkleMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Martha ChamdrokaMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Carl BrownUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Sami ChadiUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Erin KennedyUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Sender LibermanMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Julie SavardMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Carol-Ann VasilevskyMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Julio F FioreDepartment of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Carmen LoiselleDepartment of Oncology and Ingram School of Nursing, Centre for Nursing, Research, CIUSSS Centre-Ouest, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Phyllis ZelkowitzMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Sahir BhatnagarMcGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Marylise BoutrosMcGill University, Cleveland Clinic Florida, 2950 Cleveland Clinic Blvd., Weston, FL, 33301, USA. boutrom3@ccf.org.ORCID 0000-0001-8006-321X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionLow Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) describes bowel dysfunction post-restorative proctectomy (RP) and is associated with poor quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an interactive online informational and peer support App on participants' QoL (primary outcome), LARS, and emotional distress (secondary outcomes).

methodsA multicentre, randomized, parallel-group trial was conducted across five Canadian colorectal surgery practices. Adult patients who: (1) underwent RP for rectal cancer and completed all treatment and (2) had major/minor LARS were included. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to treatment or comparison group, stratified by hospital site and years post-RP. The treatment group had access to the App for a period of 6 months, and the comparison group received a booklet containing the same educational material as the App. The primary outcome was change in global QoL (EORTC-QLQ-C30) from baseline to 6 months post-intervention. Per-protocol and intention to treat analysis were performed, controlling for a priori selected variables (sex, time from end of treatment).

resultsOf the 101 enrolled participants, 10 individuals were lost to follow-up and 91 completed the study. Participants were well-balanced in terms of baseline characteristics, QoL and bowel dysfunction. Among the 45 App users, median log-in per person was 21, with 30 (66.7%) participants meeting criteria for adequate app usage. On intention to treat analysis, there was no statistically significant difference in QoL in the App group. On the per-protocol analysis, where only participants who met adequate App usage criteria were included in the treatment group, the group reported statistically significant improvement in QoL (β 9.5, 95% CI 4.6,14.6) and LARS (β - 2.7, 95%CI - 5.1,- 0.2) scores following App usage.

conclusionThis multicenter randomized controlled trial support that, when adequately used, an interactive online informational and peer support App has the potential to improve QoL of rectal cancer survivors living with LARS post-RP.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsPatient Education as TopicPostoperative ComplicationsProctectomyProctocolectomy, RestorativeQuality of LifeRectal NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleHumansLow Anterior Resection SyndromeMaleMiddle AgedPeer GroupSyndromeBowel dysfunctionLow anterior resection syndromePeer supportRectal cancerSurvivorship care

Identifiers

PMID39779532

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.