Protocol for a feasibility study of a cancer symptom awareness campaign to support the rapid diagnostic centre referral pathway in a socioeconomically deprived area: Targeted Intensive Community-based campaign To Optimise Cancer awareness (TIC-TOC)

Introduction Rapid diagnostic centres (RDCs) are being implemented across the UK to accelerate the assessment of vague suspected cancer symptoms. Targeted behavioural interventions are needed to augment RDCs that serve socioeconomically deprived populations who are disproportionately affected by cancer, have lower cancer symptom awareness and are less likely to seek help for cancer symptoms. The aim of this study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating a community-based vague cancer symptom awareness intervention in an area of high socioeconomic deprivation. Methods and analysis Intervention materials and messages were coproduced with local stakeholders in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Wales. Cancer champions will be trained to deliver intervention messages and distribute intervention materials using broadcast media (eg, local radio), printed media (eg, branded pharmacy bags, posters, leaflets), social media (eg, Facebook) and attending local community events. A cross-sectional questionnaire will include self-reported patient interval (time between noticing symptoms to contacting the general practitioner), cancer symptom recognition, cancer beliefs and barriers to presentation, awareness of campaign messages, healthcare resource use, generic quality of life and individual and area-level deprivation indicators. Consent rates and proportion of missing data for patient questionnaires (n=189) attending RDCs will be measured. Qualitative interviews and focus groups will assess intervention acceptability and barriers/facilitators to delivery. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study was given by the London—West London & GTAC Research Ethics (21/LO/0402). This project will inform a potential future controlled study to assess intervention effectiveness in reducing the patient interval for vague cancer symptoms. The results will be critical to informing national policy and practice regarding behavioural interventions to support RDCs in highly deprived population

Evaluating the affective dimensions of Traces-Olion: a subtle mob at St Fagans National Museum of History, Wales

Traces is an immersive audio storytelling experience designed to connect visitors viscerally and intentionally with(in) the space of St Fagans National Museum of History, Wales. Using subtlety and the senses as orienting devices, it encourages participants to explore the site in atypical ways; ways that explicitly encourage them to feel and to touch. Traces (Olion in the Welsh language) can be either a single person or partner experience, the latter featuring moments of deep interaction and play. In this paper we introduce three aspects of the Traces project relating to emotions in digital cultural heritage work. Firstly, we introduce Traces as an intervention designed specifically to embrace and elicit ‘feeling’ (activating the affective qualities of St Fagans as a site, and of the media we were employing). Secondly, we introduce our approach to evaluating the affective dimensions of immersion in Traces (eliciting spoken, written and drawn responses). Thirdly we overview participant responses, reflecting on the impacts of work situated at the emotional nexus of sites, story and the senses