Resources for Implementation
Right Decisions Service (RDS) Cancer Prehabilitation Toolkits
To help teams implement cancer prehabilitation within their local cancer pathway, cancer prehabilitation toolkits have been developed in collaboration with the Right Decisions Service. 2 toolkits have been developed:
1) Cancer prehabilitation for healthcare professionals toolkit
Available at: https://www.rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/cancer-prehabilitation-for-healthcare-professionals/
This toolkit has been designed for the use by healthcare professionals. It includes:
- An overview and recommendations for the full cancer prehabilitation pathway.
- Cancer prehabilitation screening resources.
2) Cancer prehabilitation for patients toolkit
Available at: https://www.rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/cancer-prehabilitation-for-patients/
‘Once for Scotland’ Cancer Prehabilitation Screening
Screening is the first step of the cancer prehabilitation pathway. All patients should be screened, as early as possible, to identify need and determine whether they require universal, targeted, or specialist prehabilitation intervention, ensuring they are supported by the right people in the right place at the right time.
The National Cancer Prehabilitation Screening Toolkit can be found on the Right Decisions Service (RDS) Cancer Prehabilitation Toolkits. There are 2 toolkits available, depending on how you will screen within your local pathway.
Healthcare Professional led screening: Where screening is led by a member of the healthcare team, the ‘Cancer Prehabilitation for Healthcare Professionals’ toolkit should be used. The prehabilitation screening resources include:
- Digital screening tools – provides a score and level of need outcome for the healthcare team when a questionnaire is completed.
- Non-digital screening tools
- Multi-modal screening scoring guide to support non-digital screening
Patient led screening: Where screening is completed by the patient independently (e.g. remotely or via a device without support from healthcare team), the screening tools on the ‘Cancer Prehabilitation for Patients’ toolkit should be used.
Information to support staff with cancer prehabilitation screening can be found on the RDS ‘Cancer Prehabilitation for Healthcare Professionals’ toolkit. Below is a downloadable guidance document containing the same information.
Universal Prehabilitation
Regardless of level of need identified through screening, all patients should be provided with universal prehabilitation. Teams are advised to help patients can access universal prehabilitation via the following two routes:
1) National Cancer Prehabilitation Website
The resource below can be displayed as a poster or given as a leaflet. It should support signposting of patients to the national cancer prehabilitation website.
Universal prehabilitation advice and resources developed for patients are available in the ‘Prehab and Me’ section of the website. You may wish to go to the website during a consultation with a patient and direct them to the pages most relevant to their needs.
2) Universal Prehabilitation Workshop
All patients should attend a universal prehabilitation workshop. Workshops are delivered at all Maggie’s Centres, with virtual workshops delivered via Maggie’s Highland to anyone across Scotland who cannot go to a centre. Some local organisations located in areas without a Maggie’s i.e. Ayrshire Cancer Support, also deliver these workshops. The workshops introduce the concept of prehab to attendees and cover diet, physical activity and psychological wellbeing. Should people require more support following the workshop, cancer support specialists are on hand to help, and they can signpost people appropriately.
Maggie’s Centres
A video has been produced for each centre that can be shared with those interested in knowing more. Each video shows the local centre and introduces some of the staff working there. It therefore helps those new to Maggie’s understand what to expect to expect before they go.
Videos:
Should you wish to refer a patient and/or their carer, you can contact the centre directly. We encourage you to share the video with those being referred, and to tell them a little bit about what to expect. Your local centre can provide you with written materials, and they are happy to talk to potential referrers about the prehab workshops and all services they offer.
The universal workshops delivered by Maggie’s were evaluated during a pilot phase (2021-2023). You can read about the impact of the workshops here.