Co-production workshops underway
The first round of workshops with patients and carers has started. Themes so far: communication, clarity, and feeling listened to.
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Research and Development Project · 2026 – 2029
Care and support for people with life-limiting illnesses, and the people who care for them.
CARE-PAC is a digital remote monitoring and support system that helps patients, families, and clinicians work together more closely. It is being developed through a three-year research project funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, co-produced with the people who will use it, and tested in a randomised controlled trial.
In plain English
How CARE-PAC works
A short version of the idea. There is more detail on the pages below.
At home
Patients stay in their own homes, where they want to be.
Simple check-ins
A digital system helps capture how someone is feeling and their symptoms: on a phone, a touchscreen tablet such as an iPad, or a computer.
Your care team, connected
Patients, families, and clinicians can work together more closely, and act sooner.
The CARE-PAC study, step by step:
- Step one, co-production. Working together to design the study and computer monitoring system, CARE-PAC.
- Step two, refinement. Improving and testing the computer monitoring system and welcoming clinics to join the study.
- Step three, randomised controlled trial.
- Daily check-ins. Participants are asked how they feel every day, via phone or computer.
- Care team review. The care team reviews answers and identifies anyone who may need additional support.
- Longer questionnaires. Participants complete longer questionnaires every few weeks.
- Ongoing support. Information flows securely between participants and the care team.
- Share your views. Participants share their views and feedback to help improve the system.
- Step four, real-world adoption. The computer monitoring system, CARE-PAC, is part of routine care in many clinics.
Working together every step of the way to improve health and wellbeing.
Our mission
Good care starts with being heard
When people can say how they really feel, and someone is listening, care gets better. Our mission is to make that kind of conversation easy, every day, for everyone involved.
What we want to achieve
A simple, friendly way for patients and carers to share how things are going, from home, in their own words. So nothing important goes unsaid, and no one has to wait until the next appointment to be heard.
Why it matters
Small changes are easier to help with when they are spotted early. Better communication means worries are shared sooner, help arrives at the right time, and patients and carers feel less alone.
How we will get there
By building it together. Patients, carers, and clinicians shape every part of CARE-PAC, and then we test it carefully in a trial, so we know it truly works before it becomes part of everyday care.
Everyone who takes part in the CARE-PAC study helps build kinder, better care for the people who come after them. It is a way of doing good that lasts: a gift to patients, families, and carers of the future.
Find your way in
What applies to you?
CARE-PAC has different things to say to different people. Pick the route that fits.
Patients & carers
I am living with a life-limiting illness, or caring for someone who is
What the project is, what taking part might involve, and where to find support.
Read in plain English → Healthcare professionalsI work in palliative care, oncology, primary care, or hospice services
How CARE-PAC fits into existing pathways, what we are evaluating, and how to refer or get involved.
Clinical overview → ResearchersI am working in digital health, palliative care, or health-services research
Study design, methods, outputs, and opportunities to collaborate.
Study at a glance →Where we are
The project in three phases
The CARE-PAC study runs from February 2026 to January 2029. We are currently in the co-production phase, working with patients, carers, and clinicians to shape what we build.
~200
patients taking part across multiple UK sites
3
phases, from co-production to trial
3
years of research, 2026 to 2029
-
2026 (Year 1)
You are hereCo-production with patients, carers, and clinicians
Workshops and iterative design activities to make sure the system reflects real-world needs and fits inside existing care pathways.
In progress
-
2027 (Year 2)
Refinement & trial set-up
The system is refined and prepared for evaluation. Participating clinical locations join the study and the trial protocols are finalised.
-
2027 – 2029
Randomised controlled trial
Around 200 patients across multiple UK sites take part. We measure symptom burden, quality of life, healthcare use, and carers’ experiences.
-
2029 onwards
Real-world adoption
If effective, CARE-PAC moves from research into routine practice, alongside a clear route to scale and sustainability.
Latest
News & updates
Project officially launched
Kick-off meeting at the University of Strathclyde brought together the multidisciplinary CARE-PAC team for the first time.
Read more →Lived Experience Group applications open
We are putting together a Lived Experience Group. Expressions of interest will open shortly.
Get notified →Want to be involved?
Whether you are a clinician interested in trial sites, a researcher exploring collaboration, or a patient or carer who would like a voice in shaping the system, we would love to hear from you.
Contact the team