'Fit for surgery' or 'fit for life'?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
'Fit for surgery' or 'fit for life'? Exploring the potential of using the perioperative encounter to promote regular exercise and physical activity: an expanded evidence synthesis
IRAS ID
268841
Contact name
Andrew F Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
139008, PROSPERO
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 30 days
Research summary
It is reported that people need to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle. Despite this, most people are still not active enough. Encouraging people to do more physical activity is an NHS priority.
Every year, over 4 million people need surgery, in England alone. They visit several different health professionals (such as local GPs, hospital staff, and social care teams) before, during, and after their planned surgery. Research has shown that the fitter people are before their operation, the faster they recover from it.
Because of this, people are sometimes encouraged to make changes to improve their health before surgery. This may be an ideal time to encourage people to start, and to continue, regular physical activity and therefore improve their general health. However, we do not know the best way of encouraging people to do this.
Our research will aim to find out how people have been encouraged to be more physically active when surgery is being considered, planned, or has taken place. We will observe and collect information about how physical activity has been encouraged during different health encounters. We will consider when might be the best time to encourage physical activity and what difficulties people face when encouraged to be more active. We will talk to patients and staff about their experiences of this, and about how this can become part of practice in different settings.
We will review all available research studies that have encouraged physical activity in adults who need, or who have had, surgery. Our analysis and report will bring the different parts of the study together.
We have involved a Patient, Carer and Public Involvement group in our design and have strong patient representation on our Advisory Group.
The study will take place within NHS services and community settings and will last 15 months.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0424
Date of REC Opinion
14 Apr 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion