Pilot study on individualized comprehensive rehabilitation of patients with colon and rectal cancer: Phase 2 and 3 of the project

The research objectives are:

1.) To identify the needs for individual components of comprehensive rehabilitation in a representative sample of 75 patients with colorectal cancer included in the intervention group, which will serve as a basis for planning the resources needed to implement comprehensive rehabilitation for oncology patients with colorectal cancer at the national level.

2.) To assess the adequacy of the proposed clinical pathway in a representative sample of patients with colorectal cancer in the intervention group and to prepare adjustments to professional guidelines and clinical pathways for comprehensive rehabilitation of oncology patients with colorectal cancer based on the research results.

3.) Using a control group of 75 patients who will not have access to comprehensive rehabilitation, to assess whether the quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer included in the proposed comprehensive rehabilitation system has improved, and to determine how the intervention has affected the duration of sick leave and disability retirement.

Both the intervention and control groups will consist of 75 patients with colorectal cancer at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, aged 25 to 65 years, who, in addition to an oncologist's examination at diagnosis, will visit the comprehensive rehabilitation coordinator and complete a triage questionnaire and a quality of life questionnaire 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. A multidisciplinary team will refer patients from the intervention group to treatments by a network of comprehensive rehabilitation providers based on their needs. The control group will not receive the intervention. With the help of the control group, we will determine whether the quality of life of patients in the intervention group is better. We will also ascertain how the intervention has affected the duration of their sick leave and disability retirement.