Background –For cancer survivors, evidence demonstrates that healthy lifestyle behaviours including weight management, increased physical activity, and better quality nutrition, decrease the impact and likelihood of comorbidities, cancer recurrence and late effects of cancer treatment. Despite this, most cancer survivors do not meet set guidelines. To address this, the Cancer Councils of SA, NSW, and Victoria ran a telephone-delivered Healthy Living after Cancer (HLaC) program. Whilst this program demonstrated clinically meaningful outcomes, it was costly to run and did not meet all user’s needs. These limitations highlighted a need to explore online program delivery, with previous research indicating online delivery increases reach and is potentially more cost effective.
Aims – To scope the requirements of, and stakeholder attitudes towards, an online healthy living program, to inform it’s subsequent planned development.
Methods – A co-design methodology was utilised, where end-users are engaged from the start of intervention development. Participants took part in focus groups or one-on-one telephone interviews during which their experiences with healthy living programs and desire for an online program were explored. Participants included post-treatment cancer survivors, healthcare professionals, and representatives of cancer support organisations. Focus groups and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and underwent thematic analysis using NVivo.
Results –Five groups have been conducted to date. Preliminary universal themes have emerged across all stakeholder group types include: (i) the importance of the program for addressing mental, as well as physical, health; and (ii) connecting survivors to one another and to health clinicians were emphasised. Further results will be discussed.
Conclusions- Results of this study followed best practice standards in consumer-driven program development. The findings from this study can be used to better understand what healthy living means to cancer survivors and how they can best be supported in achieving their healthy living goals.