Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Not Yet Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07376668

Effects of a WhatsApp-assisted Prehabilitation for Patient Undergoing Elective Colorectal Cancer Surgery

The goals of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and the effects of a WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation for colorectal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery. The main questions are: If the digital prehabilitation is feasible and acceptable by the colorectal cancer patient prior to elective surgery? If this prehabilitation helps to improve the postoperative complications, length of stay, physical activity and psychological well-being for colorectal cancer patients receiving surgery.

Researcher will compare the prehabilitation plus standard care to standard care only to see if the prehabiliation helps the colorectal cancer patients.

Participants will: 1) enrolled in a approximate 4 weeks (3 episodes/ week) prehabilitation program containing educational information of colorectal cancer, dietary advice, exercises training and psychological podcasting. 2) will answer the survey weekly and after surgery. 3) keep the standard care as per department guidelines

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer (Diagnosis) Colonic Diseases Colorectal Neoplasms Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Disease Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Diseases Intestinal Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Rectal Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Colorectal cancer ranks the second most prevalent forms of cancer in Hong Kong and surgery is still the primary curative option. Although compromising result of shorten general length of stay (LOS) in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol is illustrated, surgical complications such as postoperative ileus (POI) remain unresolved and significant burden associated leads to suboptimal patients' outcomes of prolonged LOS and physical deconditioning with extended rehabilitation. Prehabilitation refers to optimization in a single or multi-disciplinary approach of exercises training, nutritional therapy and psychological counselling, improves physical fitness, strengthens cardiopulmonary function and reduce mental distress through lifestyle modification and better physiological reserve. However, the concept of educations in form of preoperative exercises and nutritional counselling outweighs the purposes of actual prehabilitation and short-handed allied health professionals limited accessibility of regular out-patient counselling in the current clinical practices. Consequently, poor adherence to these preoperative trainings may result in to poor surgical outcomes.

A single with assessor-blinded, double-armed randomised controlled trial study with a prior pilot will be employed to examine the feasibility and effects of a technology-assisted prehabilitation for patients with colorectal cancer surgery. Outcomes of postoperative complications, LOS, physical activity, nutritional status, gastrointestinal recovery and psychological well-being will be evaluated. Elective colorectal cancer surgery patient will be invited to participated in this study.

The result will provide insights of the use of digital approach. To our knowledge, this is the very first trial of digital prehabilitation for CRC patients in Hong Kong public hospitals. Therefore, it provides positive contribution and acts as an important quality benchmark for patients' outcomes. The findings will also generate knowledge on the optimalization of care provided to CRC patients prior to surgery and assist to develop a structured and effective health system in our community. This innovation may have implications to other research studies and extends the potential clinical practices to related subspecialities such as gastric cancer.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • diagnosis of colorectal-related cancer
  • scheduled for elective colorectal cancer surgery as primary treatment
  • aged 18 years or above
  • expected surgery date more than 21 days
  • able to collaborate in the study and sign the informed consent
  • able to use WhatsApp application

Exclusion criteria

  • identified or known premorbid, that inability to follow the programme
  • able to understand written and spoken Cantonese/ Chinese

Treatment and study plan

Intervention

Other

In addition to standard care, participants will receive digital approach of WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation programme and then start the home-based training for about 3-4 weeks prior to the surgery. The WhatsApp-assisted prehabilitation includes exercises training, dietary advice and psychological support. Contents will contain elements of physical training (e.g. aerobic and resistance exercises) and psychological therapy (e.g. meditation) will be delivered through WhatsApp at three sessions (day 1, 3 & 5) per week for 30 minutes and 15 minutes respectively, educational information associated with colorectal cancer surgery and prehabilitation(e.g. high risks factors towards surgical complications) and dietary advices (e.g. recipes) will be delivered on weekly

Other names: Prehabilitation

Standard care

Other

Standard care as per department guidelines with ERAS protocol (including smoking cessation program, preoperative counselling, early rehabilitation program)

Primary outcomes

  1. Postoperative complications

    Time frame: Postoperative period: assessed up to first year postoperative

    measured by the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), which integrates in a single formula all complications by severity, ranging from 0 (uneventful course) to 100 (death).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Length of hospital stay (LOS)

    Time frame: Postoperative period: assessed up to the first year postoperative

    to evaluate the length of postoperative hospital stay

  2. Physical activity

    Time frame: Assessments at baseline, weekly before the surgery and on the day of discharge: assess up to first year postoperative

    measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), seven items were assessed in frequency and duration over the past seven days, categorizing it into four types: vigorous intensity, moderate intensity, walking, and sitting. An average metabolic equivalents score (MET, min·w-1) was calculated to assess total physical activity as well as for each type of activity, separately. For walking activities, all types of walking were included and an average MET score was derived. The same procedure was carried out for medium intensity and high intensity activities. By calculating the number of activity days multiplied by the average duration per activity, statements about the energy consumption per week and the fitness level can be derived.

  3. Gastrointestinal recovery

    Time frame: Postoperative period: assessed up to 30 days postoperative

    measured as time to first flatus (in hours)

  4. Gastrointestinal function

    Time frame: Postoperative period: assess up to 30 days postoperative

    measured as time to first bowel (hours)

  5. Anxiety and depression

    Time frame: Assessments at baseline and on the day of discharge: assess up to first year postoperative

    assessed by the Chinese version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (C-HADS), a 14-question measure with seven items each for depression and anxiety. HADS generates separate scores for anxiety and depression as well as a combined score of psychological distress. Continuos variable 0-21 (0-7 normal value, 11-21 anxiety/depression), higher value from baseline will represent a worse outcome.

  6. Quality of health-related life

    Time frame: Assessments at baseline and on the day of discharge: assess up to first year postoperative

    evaluated by the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12 version 2 (Hong Kong)), with Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Scores range from 0-100 for the 8 underlying health domains, with higher scores meaning better Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL)

Other outcomes

  1. Adherence to the prehabilitation

    Time frame: From enrollment to the completion of study up to 18 months

    percentage of completed at least 75% of the prehabilitation.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

SHERING SUNG

CONTACT

[email protected]

85222080980

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Tseung Kwan O Hospital, Hong Kong

Other

Collaborators

  • Chinese University of Hong Kong

Registry information

Official study title

WhatsApp-assisted Prehabilitation Programme for Adult Patient Undergoing Elective Colorectal Cancer Surgery - A Randomised Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jan 29, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 3, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.