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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the spectrum of cancer care, including delaying diagnoses and treatment and halting clinical trials. In response, healthcare systems are rapidly reorganizing cancer services to ensure that patients continue to receive essential care while minimizing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective This study examined how free-text comments from cancer survivors could complement formal patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), as part of the England PROMs survey programme for cancer. Design A qualitative content analysis was conducted of responses to a single open-ended free-text question placed at the end of the cross-sectional population-based postal questionnaire. Setting Individuals were identified through three UK Cancer Registries and questionnaires were posted to their home addresses. Participants A random sample of individuals (n=4992) diagnosed with breast, colorectal, non-Hodgkins lymphoma or prostate cancer at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years earlier. Results 3300 participants completed the survey (68% response rate). Of these 1056 (32%) completed the free-text comments box, indicating a high level of commitment to provide written feedback on patient experience. Almost a fifth (19%) related experiences of excellent care during the treatment phase, with only 8% reporting negative experiences. This contrasted with experiences of care after primary cancer treatment where the majority were negative. Factors impacting negatively upon patient-reported outcomes included the emotional impact of cancer; poor experiences of treatment and care; comorbidities, treatment side effects, social difficulties and inadequate preparation for a wide range of sometimes long-lasting on-going physical and psychological problems. Mediating factors assisting recovery incorporated both professional-led factors, such as quality of preparation for anticipated problems and aftercare services, and participant-led factors, such as learning from other cancer survivors and self-learning through trial and error. The support of friends and family was also a factor in participants' outcomes. Conclusions This analysis of free-text comments complements quantitative analysis of PROMs measure's by illuminating relationships between factors that impact on quality of life (QoL) and indicate why cancer patients may experience significantly worse QoL than the general population. The data suggest more systematic preparation and aftercare for individuals to self-manage post-treatment problems might improve QoL outcomes among cancer survivors.

BackgroundLittle is known about quality of life after bladder cancer treatment. This common cancer is managed using treatments that can affect urinary, sexual and bowel function.MethodsTo understand quality of life and inform future care, the Department of Health (England) surveyed adults surviving bladder cancer 1–5 years after diagnosis. Questions related to disease status, co-existing conditions, generic health (EQ-5D), cancer-generic (Social Difficulties Inventory) and cancer-specific outcomes (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Bladder).ResultsIn total, 673 (54%) patients responded; including 500 (74%) men and 539 (80%) with co-existing conditions. Most respondents received endoscopic treatment (60%), while 92 (14%) and 99 (15%) received radical cystectomy or radiotherapy, respectively. Questionnaire completion rates varied (51–97%). Treatment groups reported ≥1 problem using EQ-5D generic domains (59–74%). Usual activities was the most common concern. Urinary frequency was common after endoscopy (34–37%) and radiotherapy (44–50%). Certain populations were more likely to report generic, cancer-generic and cancer-specific problems; notably those with co-existing long-term conditions and those treated with radiotherapy.ConclusionThe study demonstrates the importance of assessing patient-reported outcomes in this population. There is a need for larger, more in-depth studies to fully understand the challenges patients with bladder cancer face.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a comparison of two ways of developing and delivering massive open online courses (MOOCs). One was developed by The Open University in collaboration with FutureLearn; the other was developed independently by a small team at the Northampton University. Design/methodology/approach The different approaches had very different profiles of pedagogic flexibility, cost, development processes, institutional support and participant numbers. Findings MOOCs on existing large platforms can reach thousands of people, but constrain pedagogical choice. Self-made MOOCs have smaller audiences but can target them more effectively. Originality/value This comparison shows that, several years after MOOCs became prominent, there are many viable approaches for MOOCs.

This paper aims to elucidate the state-of-the-art, prevailing priorities, and the focus of the industry, and identify both limitations and potential gaps regarding industrial robots and collaborative robots (cobots). Additionally, it outlines the advantages and disadvantages of cobots compared to traditional industrial robots. Furthermore, three novel factors are introduced in this survey as metrics to evaluate the efficiency and performance of industrial robots and cobots. To achieve these purposes, a statistical analysis and review of commercial articulated industrial robots and cobots are conducted based on their documented specifications, such as maximum payload, weight, reach, repeatability, average maximum angular speed, and degrees of freedom (DOF). Additionally, the statistical distributions of the efficiency factors are investigated to develop a systematic method for robot selection. Finally, specifications exhibiting strong correlations are compared in pairs using regressions to find out trends and relations between them, within each company and across them all. The investigation of the distribution of specifications demonstrates that the focus of the industry and robot makers is mostly on articulated industrial robots and cobots with higher reach, lower payload capacity, lower weight, better repeatability, lower angular speed, and six degrees of freedom. The regressions reveal that the weight of robots increases exponentially as the reach increases, primarily due to the added weight and torque resulting from the extended reach. They also indicate that the angular speed of robots linearly decreases with increasing reach, as robot manufacturers intentionally reduce the angular speed through reductive gearboxes to compensate for the additional torque required as the reach extends. The trends obtained from the regressions explain the reasons behind these interrelationships, the design purpose of robot makers, and the limitations of industrial robots and cobots. Additionally, they help industries predict the dependent specifications of articulated robots based on the specifications they require. Moreover, an accompanying program has been developed and uploaded on to GitHub, taking the required specifications and returning a list of proper and efficient robots sourced from different companies according to the aforementioned selection method.

The shock rating of world renowned Addenbrooke’s Hospital as inadequate was chief inspector Mike Richards’s most controversial decision to date. But, he tells Nigel Hawkes, the backlash won’t force a relaxation of his regime

The last Labour government launched Smoking Kills, the first cross-government tobacco control plan, a year after coming to power in 1997.3 This drove substantial declines in smoking among adults4 and children5 after two decades when little or no progress had been made. Yet smoking is still the single biggest cause of preventable death, responsible for half of the difference in life expectancy between rich and poor people in our society.6 Labour cannot achieve its manifesto commitment to halve differences in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions7 unless it prioritises ending smoking. 1 Boytchev H. Tobacco control community eyes next UK government to deliver smoke-free generation.