Publications by authors named "Caroline Buck"

Purpose: Continuous lenalidomide maintenance treatment after autologous stem cell transplantation delivers improvement in progression free and overall survival among newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and has been the standard of care in the UK since March 2021. However, there is scant information about its impact on patients' day-to-day lives. This service evaluation aimed to qualitatively assess patients receiving lenalidomide treatment at a cancer centre in London, in order that the service might better align with needs and expectations of patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Increasing moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), like brisk walking, can benefit cancer survivors' health and well-being, leading to a study assessing this through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) focused on an app-based intervention.
  • The study recruited participants with various cancer types and provided an app with additional support resources to promote brisk walking, while measuring feasibility through retention rates and app usage.
  • Results show high acceptability and feasibility of the trial procedures, indicating readiness for a larger phase III RCT, although initial economic analyses reveal uncertainties in cost-effectiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Individuals living with and beyond cancer are at heightened risk of adverse psychological and social outcomes and experiences. In March 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic presented a unique set of social circumstances with the potential to exacerbate the challenges faced by this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of people living with and beyond cancer during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and assess the impact on psychological and social aspects of their lives.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on fractures in health care systems worldwide and continues to have a significant impact, particularly in relation to the health care workforce. Frontline staff have been exposed to unprecedented strain, and delivering care during the pandemic has affected their safety, mental health, and well-being.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of health care workers (HCWs) delivering care in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic to understand their well-being needs, experiences, and strategies used to maintain well-being (at individual and organizational levels).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to qualitatively explore how partner support for health behaviours is perceived, received, and utilised in people living with and beyond cancer (LWBC).

Methods: Semi-structured audio interviews were conducted with 24 participants, 15 men and nine women, living with and beyond breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Inductive and deductive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Social support facilitated healthy behaviours in people living with and beyond cancer (LWBC) before the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about how social support impacted their health behaviours during the pandemic when social restrictions were imposed. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore how social support was perceived to impact the health behaviours of people LWBC during the COVID-19 pandemic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Positive health behaviours (sufficient exercise, healthy diet, limiting alcohol, and not smoking) can improve multiple outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. Observational studies suggest that health behaviours were negatively impacted for some but not all individuals living with and beyond cancer. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the impact of the pandemic on health behaviours of people in this population.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is standard of care in biologically fit, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients, offering better therapeutic outcomes and improved quality of life (QoL). However, with the UK's 1st national lockdown on 23/03/2020, several guidelines recommended deferring ASCT due to risks of infection, with resource limitations forcing some units to suspend ASCT entirely. Such changes to patients' treatment plans inevitably altered their lived experience during these uncertain times with expected impact on QoL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: While there is research relating to perceptions of vaccines among healthcare workers (HCWs), the evidence base in relation to COVID-19 remains limited. The aim of this study was to explore HCWs' perceptions and attitudes towards vaccines and the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the UK, including their expectations and views on promoting vaccination to others.

Design: This study was designed as a rapid qualitative appraisal, integrating data from a review of UK policies and guidance on COVID-19 vaccination with data from in-depth semistructured telephone interviews with frontline HCWs in the UK.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: During infectious epidemics, healthcare workers are required to deliver traditional care while facing new pressures. Time and resource restrictions, a focus on saving lives and new safety measures can lead to traditional aspects of care delivery being neglected.

Aim: Identify barriers to delivering end-of-life care, describe attempts to deliver care during the COVID-19 pandemic, and understand the impact this had on staff.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intellectual disability affects 2-3% of the population; mutations of the X-chromosome are a major cause of moderate to severe cases. The link between the molecular consequences of the mutation and impaired cognitive function remains unclear. Loss of function mutations of oligophrenin-1 (OPHN1) disrupt Rho-GTPase signalling.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In Ghana, despite the availability of safe, legally permissible abortion services, high rates of morbidity and mortality from unsafe abortion persist. Through interviews with Ghanaian physicians on the front lines of abortion provision, we begin to describe major barriers to widespread safe abortion. Their stories illustrate the life-threatening impact that stigma, financial restraints, and confusion regarding abortion law have on the women of Ghana who seek abortion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF