Process Evaluation of Complex Interventions in Oncorehabilitation - Focus on Evaluation of INSPIRE Intervention Implementation

This scientific poster presents the methodological approach developed to evaluate the implementation of the INSPIRE palliative rehabilitation intervention within a multinational randomised controlled trial involving people with advanced, incurable cancer. The INSPIRE project (Integrated Short-Term Palliative Rehabilitation in Incurable Cancer) aims to establish whether an integrated palliative rehabilitation intervention improves health-related quality of life. Alongside the assessment of clinical effectiveness, the project includes a process and implementation evaluation to understand how the intervention is delivered and to inform its potential scale-up. The poster describes a structured, three-step approach to developing the implementation evaluation: Selection of theoretical frameworks: The Exploration, Preparation, Implementation and Sustainment (EPIS) process model was selected to provide the theoretical foundation, alongside Proctor's evaluation framework to assess implementation outcomes. Selection of implementation criteria: Five outcomes were identified as relevant to the INSPIRE intervention: acceptability, appropriateness, fidelity, feasibility and sustainability. Development of evaluation tools: A mixed-methods approach was developed, combining questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore implementation outcomes among patients, healthcare professionals and institutional representatives. The quantitative questionnaires include 31 questions for patients allocated to the intervention group, 62 questions for healthcare professionals and 51 questions for institutional representatives. Three qualitative interview topic guides were also developed, one for each participant group. The poster demonstrates how implementation science frameworks can inform the systematic development of process evaluations within complex rehabilitation trials. The methodological approach is intended to support rehabilitation researchers in developing and adapting implementation evaluation methods and tools to their own study contexts. Project: INSPIRE – Integrated Short-Term Palliative Rehabilitation in Incurable Cancer. Poster number: 392.