Interactive online course to improve cancer patients' digital health skills
Official title: Development and Effectiveness Evaluation of an Interactive E-learning Environment to Enhance Digital Health Literacy in Cancer Patients: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Run by Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf · NCT07200453 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether an interactive online course helps people with cancer improve their ability to find and understand reliable health information online compared with reading a PDF or receiving no material.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 660 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hamburg, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 16, 2025 |
| Main results expected | September 1, 2025 |
| Study ends | October 1, 2025 |
| Registry record updated | October 1, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07200453 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults with a cancer diagnosis who speak German, can use an internet-connected device (smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop), and consent to participate are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with severe cognitive impairment or those unable to operate a digital device are unlikely to benefit from this online intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will develop an interactive e-learning environment with input from focus groups and usability testing, then run a randomized controlled trial. A total of 660 people with cancer will be randomly assigned to one of three variants of the e-learning tool, to a PDF with the same content, or to a no-intervention control group. Participants will complete questionnaires about their digital health literacy at baseline, after two weeks, and after eight weeks to measure change. The main comparison is improvement in digital health literacy from baseline to eight weeks between the intervention groups and the control group.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help cancer patients more confidently find and understand trustworthy online health information and make better-informed care decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous digital health literacy and eHealth education programs have shown modest improvements in online information skills in other populations, but interactive, cancer-specific e-learning interventions are less well studied.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: * cancer diagnosis * sufficient knowledge of the German language as all study content and questionnaires will be in German only * Participants must also have and be able to use a digital device (smartphone, tablet, PC, laptop, etc.) with an internet connection * Confirm consent to participate in the study Exclusion criteria: * Patients who are severely cognitively impaired due to their cancer or other illness * Patients who are unable to operate a digital device
Where it's running
-
University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Hamburg, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Holger Schulz, Prof. — Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Study coordinator: Lukas Lange-Drenth, Dr.
- Email: lu.lange@uke.de
- Phone: +49 (0) 40 7410-56811
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
HR20013 for preventing nausea and vomiting in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy
This real-world study tests whether HR20013 helps prevent nausea and vomiting in adults with cancer who are getting chemotherapy.
-
Methylscape test in body fluids for multi-cancer detection in Colombia
A simple blood, urine, or saliva test called Methylscape is being tested to see if it can detect multiple cancers and identify where the signal is coming from, using people with cancer and healthy volunteers in Colombia.
-
Ready for Safe Cancer Treatment (RESET): A comprehensive perioperative program for surgical patients
The RESET program tests a structured, multidisciplinary perioperative plan to improve safety and recovery for adults having planned cancer surgery and older adults having planned non cancer-related surgery.
-
How environment and biology together predict health, aging, and death
Researchers are following adults to see how living conditions and biology together relate to aging and life expectancy, by linking personal health data with environmental and social information over time.
-
Metastatic liver cancer patient registry from multiple Chinese centers
This is a registry that collects real-world data on adults with liver metastases to understand patterns and prognosis and to support future research.
-
TriAdeno and N-803 vaccine in early prostate cancer on active surveillance
A vaccine combo called TriAdeno plus the N-803 drug is being tested to see if it can help slow or stop growth in men with early-stage, low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer who are being watched rather than treated right away.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.