SchoolCare: A Social Intervention Introducing Telepresence Robots and School Navigation to Reduce School Fragmentation for Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment
SchoolCare: A Social Intervention Introducing Telepresence Robots and School Navigation to Reduce School Fragmentation for Children Undergoing Cancer Treatment - Study Protocol of a Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Rigshospitalet, Denmark
128 participants
Feb 20, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Advances in pediatric cancer treatment have led to significant improvements in survival rates, where 5-year survival now exceeds 85%. Despite improved survival, children and adolescents who survive cancer often face significant short- and long-term psychosocial and physical late effects. Children undergoing cancer treatment often experience prolonged school absence, which disrupts their academic development and impedes critical socio-emotional growth during formative school years, with lasting consequences into adulthood. Together, these challenges underscore the need for targeted interventions that support educational continuity, promote school activity, and foster psychosocial well-being. The SchoolCare Intervention aims to reduce school absence experienced by children diagnosed with cancer during their treatment trajectory. The intervention introduces school navigation support in combination with the use of telepresence robots (TPRs) and a teleteaching program. TPRs enable the children to attend school remotely, when they are not able to attend physically. The study is designed to investigate the effectiveness of the intervention throughout a period of eight months for school-aged children (i.e., 5-17 years) who are diagnosed with cancer. The investigators hypothesize that telepresence robots will increase school attendance among children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, representing our primary outcome (H1). Additionally, the investigators explore secondary outcomes by hypothesizing that the intervention will improve the social well-being of these children and adolescents (H2) and enhance their academic level (H3). By focusing on both school attendance and broader psychosocial and academic effects, this study will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the telepresence robot intervention and its potential to support educational continuity and well-being for children with cancer.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria2
- Children and adolescents are eligible for inclusion if they meet the following criteria: they are: (1) diagnosed with cancer or cancer-like diseases withing two months of inclusion (e.g., benign brain tumors, MDS, or LCH ); (2) have undergone a stem cell transplant, or have experienced cancer relapse or disease progression within the two months of inclusion; (3) aged 5-17 years; (4) admitted to the pediatric oncology ward at Copenhagen University Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, or Aalborg University Hospital; (5) expected to experience disrupted schooling, defined as absence of more than one school day per week over an anticipated period of eight months; and (6) enrolled, or expected enrolment, in a school in Denmark during the eight month intervention period.
- Participants will be excluded if: (1) the children in intervention arm B obtain a telepresence robot outside of the SchoolCare intervention; (2) the child is unable to communicate in Danish; or (3) the child has physical or cognitive impairments that prevent them from operating or meaningfully engaging with the telepresence robot. Assessment of the latter criterion will be conducted jointly by hospital personnel and the school navigator to determine whether the child is likely to benefit from participation in the intervention. All reasons for exclusion will be documented and reported in accordance with CONSORT guidelines \[47\] supplemented by the CONSORT-SPI extended version of social and psychological interventions \[48\]. Parents and teachers of the participating children will also be included in the study and invited to complete questionnaires as well as take part in semi-structured interviews. Recruitment began on February 1st, 2026.
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Interventions
Children in arm A will receive a telepresence robot (either AV1 or BEAM). The children are able to attend their schooling environment through telepresence robots operated via an App installed on a provided study-tablet. Each participant is provided an tablet. AV1 is a compact unit designed to sit on the student's desk in the classroom. It enables real-time, one-way video transmission with zoom functionality combined with two-way audio communication, and allows the user to remotely adjust the robot's orientation, including full rotation and vertical head movement. The second device, BEAM, is a larger, mobile robot positioned on the classroom floor, capable of moving independently within the room at a controlled speed of up to 5 km/h. It offers real-time two-way audio and video interaction via an integrated 10-inch screen with zoom functionality.
As part of the SchoolCare intervention, the investigators will hire two professionals with formal education and experience within the school system into roles of school navigators. The primary purpose of the school navigators is to ensure continuous education and to maintain a connection to the schooling environment for children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. To achieve this, the school navigator will (1) establish contact with the school (teachers and principal) along with the child's first hospital discharge; (2) verify the existence of a learning plan, and if absent, assist the school principal in developing and monitoring an appropriate plan for the child; (3) facilitate ongoing communication with parents through monthly calls throughout the eight-month intervention period; (4) organize a transition meeting at the end of the intervention; and (5) identify barriers and facilitators encountered throughout the intervention period.
The school navigator will facilitate a teleteaching program consisting of three components: (1) introduce the robot to parents, school teachers, school principals, and classmates, (2) conduct a teleteaching class where classmates will get hands-on experience with the robot, and (3) provide technical support during the intervention.
Locations(3)
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NCT07398677