"Development and Evaluation of Nurse Practitioner Follow-Up in the Management of Patients with Lung Cancer"

The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate an alternative model of follow-up for patients with cancer of the lung following curative or palliative primary therapy.

This model involves the use of a nurse-practitioner service, which will offer a comprehensive supportive service including phone-in and drop-in clinics and patient/problem triggered rather than routine investigations for cancer surveillance.

The project will:
i)	establish in detail the current content of follow-up practice and its costs;
ii)	establish the nurse-practitioner service in a Cancer Centre and in local trust hospitals;
iii)	evaluate the service in the context of a randomised clinical trial comparing nurse-practitioner follow-up until disease progression, with conventional medical follow-up.

The objective is to establish any benefits to quality of life and patient satisfaction, and undertake a cost evaluation of the service.

Publications to date:

Moore S, Corner J, Haviland J, Wells M, Salmon E, Normand C, Brada M, O'Brien M, Smith I.  Nurse-led follow up and conventional follow up in management of patients with lung cancer: randomised trial.  British Medical Journal (2002) 325:1145-1152

Aspects of the study have been presented by both the principle investigator and study co-ordinator in the following papers:

Corner J (1996). Nursing and the counter culture for cancer. Inaugural Lecturer Institute of Cancer Research, London.

Corner J (1996). Cancer nursing and the implementation of Calman-Hire. South Thames Regional Directors of Nursing Studies: Cancer Services Seminar St Helier Hospital Carshalton, Surrey

Wells M (1996). Clinical Nursing Developments in Terminal Lung Cancer. keynote address, RCN Palliative Nursing Group Annual Conference, UK Palliative Care Forum, Coventry, UK.

Corner J (1997). The state of the art in palliative care research. Palliative Care Research Study Day Marie Curie Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne

Corner J (1997). Future nursing perspectives in palliative care. Galway Centre for Palliative Care, Galway, Ireland

This research was carried out at the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, London

Further information can be obtained from:

Professor Jessica Corner
School of Nursing and Midwifery
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
UK