The RECapp study
The RECapp study is a clinical trial investigating how a digital, personalized support tool can help patients recover after surgery for esophageal or gastric cancer. The study is based on the observation that many patients face a long and demanding recovery, often with persistent symptoms and a reduced quality of life. At the same time, healthcare services have limited opportunities to continuously monitor and respond to each patient’s individual needs.
The study will include at least 250 adult patients in Sweden who have undergone curative surgery for esophageal or gastric cancer. After discharge from hospital, participants will use the RECapp platform as part of their recovery support. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: the intervention group receives access to the RECapp app in addition to standard care for one year, while the control group receives standard care alone for six months, followed by access to the RECapp app alongside standard care for the remaining six months (see study flow in the figure below).
Through the mobile app, participants regularly report how they feel and which symptoms they experience. Based on these reports, they receive tailored information, self-care advice, and guidance on when it may be appropriate to contact healthcare services. The reported data is also available in the RECapp care portal, which can be accessed by authorized healthcare professionals.
RECapp and the RECapp study are built on many years of research and close collaboration with patients previously treated for esophageal and stomach cancer. From the outset, the platform has been designed to meet both patient needs and the regulatory requirements for medical devices. You can read more about how the RECapp platform has been developed and structured here.
The aim of the RECapp study is to evaluate whether this type of digital support can improve recovery, reduce symptom burden, and increase patients’ sense of safety after surgery. The primary outcome is overall symptom burden 13 weeks after surgery. In addition, the study will assess several other important aspects of recovery, including quality of life, physical and mental health, nutritional status, self-efficacy, health literacy, anxiety, dumping syndrome, satisfaction with care, and health economic outcomes. These will be followed for up to one year after surgery.
The study also includes perspectives from close relatives, and contact nurses will be interviewed to capture healthcare professionals’ experiences of using RECapp. The study is conducted in collaboration with all university hospitals in Sweden and is planned to begin in 2026.
