Prospective data collection protocol Sample Clauses

Prospective data collection protocol. The broad and general objective of the BOUNCE project is to build a quantitative mathematical model of factors associated with optimal adjustment capacity to cancer. We will collect data concerning the biomedical status (BMS), the psychosocial status (PSS) and the functional status (FUS) of breast cancer patients. Selection of variables to be measured was based from the relevant literature and extensive clinical experience of the partners to cover constructs most likely to predict patients’ capacity to bounce back during the highly stressful treatment and recovery period following diagnosis of breast cancer. Refinement of the set of measures is expected to take place based on the results of the ongoing analysis of retrospective data provided by the four clinical sites, derived from existing breast cancer patient cohorts. The overreaching goal of the model is to understand the optimal time period to intervene through personalised psychological support. Estimating resilience is considered as a critical prerequisite in making decisions regarding the need of psychosocial interventions for a given patient. In this context grading of a person’s resilience level, which indirectly expresses the risk of adverse future psychological outcomes, is clinically important. If this value is above a certain threshold no action might be required, in another range a light action might be required (e.g. more physical exercise, more strict diet etc.), if it is below a certain threshold then “emergency” measures might need to take place (e.g. psychological support, psychiatric examinations, further biomedical examinations and tests etc.).