Dataset Information

Enhancing survivorship care planning for patients with localized prostate cancer using a couple-focused web-based, mHealth program: the results of a pilot feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To examine the feasibility of an enhanced survivorship care plan (ESCP) that integrated the web-based program Patient Education Resources for Couples (PERC) into a standardized survivorship care plan (SCP) and estimated the outcomes of ESCPs versus SCPs.

Methods

In this randomized pilot trial, localized prostate cancer (PC) patients and partners (i.e., couple) were randomly assigned to ESCP that contained a link to PERC or to SCP that contained a link to general PC information on the National Cancer Institute website. Couples completed assessments measuring quality of life (QOL), appraisal of symptoms, and coping resources at baseline (T1) and 4-6 months later (T2). We examined feasibility (e.g., recruitment and retention) using descriptive statistics. Linear mixed models examined changes in couples' outcomes over time and Poisson regression examined differences in patient healthcare utilization.

Results

Sixty-two couples completed T1 surveys (recruitment rate 41.6%) and were randomly assigned to receive ESCP (n = 31) or SCP (n = 31). Twenty-eight (ESCP) and 25 (SCP) couples completed T2 surveys (retention rates = 90.3% vs. 80.7%). ESCP participants (70%) reviewed webpages consistent with patients' symptoms. ESCP patients reported greater program satisfaction (p = 0.02) and better urinary symptom scores (p < 0.01) than SCP patients.

Conclusions

Delivering ESCPs that embed a web-link to a couple-focused, tailored program is feasible and can potentially improve patient outcomes. The promising results need to be validated in a larger definitive trial using a diverse sample.

Implications for cancer survivors

SCPs, enhanced using a web-based intervention (e.g., PERC), may help PC cancer survivors better manage their urinary symptoms.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04350788.

SUBMITTER: Song L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7855003 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesFew couple-focused interventions have improved psychological and relationship functioning among men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and their spouses. This study compared the impact of intimacy-enhancing therapy (IET), a general health and wellness intervention (GHW), and usual care (UC) on the psychological and relationship functioning of localized prostate cancer patients and their partners. Relationship length, relationship satisfaction, and patient masculinity were evaluated as moderators.DesignThis study was a randomized clinical trial with three study arms and four assessment time points.MethodsA total of 237 patients and partners were randomly assigned to receive IET, GHW, or UC. Participants completed measures of psychological functioning and relationship satisfaction at baseline, 5 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-baseline. Primary outcomes were psychological adjustment, depression, cancer-specific distress, cancer concerns, and relationship satisfaction.ResultsSpouses in IET showed greater increases in relationship satisfaction than spouses in GHW and UC between the baseline and 5-week follow-up. Among patients in longer relationships, significant increases in psychological adjustment were found in both treatments compared to UC. Among spouses in longer relationships, psychological adjustment increased in both IET and UC but declined in GHW.ConclusionsIntimacy-enhancing therapy did not show an impact on general or cancer-specific distress, but did show an early impact on relationship satisfaction among spouses. IET was superior to UC for patients in longer relationships. It will be important for researchers to understand which couple-focused interventions benefits both patients and spouses and to identify characteristics of patients, partners, and couples who may not benefit from psychological treatments. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer report lower health-related quality of life and both patients and spouses report elevated distress. Relationship communication plays a role in couples' psychological adaptation to prostate cancer. Couple-focused interventions have illustrated an impact on relationship communication. There are no studies comparing different couple-focused interventions. What does this study add? Intimacy-enhancing therapy was not superior to no treatment or a comparison treatment for the broad range of psychological and relationship outcomes. Intimacy-enhancing therapy was superior to no treatment for patients in longer-term relationship. The general health and wellness intervention was not beneficial for men in shorter relationships and for men who did not endorse traditional masculine norms.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are intended to facilitate communication and coordination between patients, oncologists, and primary care providers. Most SCP initiatives have focused on oncology providers initiating the SCP process, but time and resource barriers have limited uptake. OBJECTIVE:This trial compares the feasibility and value of 2 Web-based SCP tools: provider-initiated versus patient-initiated. METHODS:This mixed-methods study recruited clinicians from 2 academically-affiliated community oncology practices. Eligible patients were treated by a participating oncologist, had nonmetastatic cancer, completed acute treatment ? 2 months before enrollment, and had no evidence of disease. Patients were randomized 1:1 to either provider-initiated or patient-initiated SCPs-both are Web-based tools. We conducted qualitative interviews with providers at baseline and follow-up and with patients 2 months after enrollment. In addition, patients were administered the Preparing for Life as a (New) Survivor (PLANS) and Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs (CaSUN) surveys at baseline and 2 months. RESULTS:A total of 40 providers were approached for the study, of whom 13 (33%) enrolled. Providers or clinic staff required researcher assistance to identify eligible patients; 41 patients were randomized, of whom 25 completed follow-up (61%; 13 provider-initiated, 12 patient-initiated). Of the 25, 11 (44%) had initiated the SCP; 5 (20%) provided the SCP to their primary care provider. On the Preparing for Life as a (New) Survivor and Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs, patients in both arms tended to report high knowledge and confidence and few unmet needs. In qualitative interviews, providers and patients discussed SCPs' value. CONCLUSIONS:Regardless of patient- versus provider-initiated templates and the Web-based design of these tools, barriers to survivorship care planning persist. Further efforts should emphasize workflow functions for identifying and completing SCPs-regardless of the SCP form used. TRIAL REGISTRATION:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02405819; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02405819 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6jWqcWOvK).

Project description:BACKGROUND:Advance care planning (ACP) is a process with the overall aim to enhance care in concordance with patients' preferences. Key elements of ACP are to enable persons to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, to discuss these with family and health care professionals, and to document and review these if appropriate. ACP is usually conducted through personal conversations between a health care professional, a patient, and-if appropriate-family members. Although Web-based ACP programs have the potential to support patients in ACP, their effectiveness is unknown. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs. METHODS:We systematically searched for quantitative and qualitative studies evaluating Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs in seven databases including EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central and Google Scholar. Data on the characteristics of the ACP programs' content (using a predefined list of 10 key elements of ACP), feasibility, and effectiveness were extracted using a predesigned form. RESULTS:Of 3434 titles and abstracts, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, evaluating 11 Web-based ACP programs-10 were developed in the United States and one in Ireland. Studied populations ranged from healthy adults to patients with serious conditions. Programs typically contained the exploration of goals and values (8 programs), exploration of preferences for treatment and care (11 programs), guidance for communication about these preferences with health care professionals or relatives (10 programs), and the possibility to generate a document in which preferences can be recorded (8 programs). Reportedly, participants were satisfied with the ACP programs (11/11 studies), considering them as easy to use (8/8 studies) and not burdensome (7/8 studies). Designs of 13 studies allowed evaluating the effectiveness of five programs. They showed that ACP programs significantly increased ACP knowledge (8/8 studies), improved communication between patients and their relatives or health care professionals (6/6 studies), increased ACP documentation (6/6 studies), and improved concordance between care as preferred by the patients and the decisions of clinicians and health care representatives (2/3 studies). CONCLUSIONS:Web-based, interactive, and person-centered ACP programs were mainly developed and evaluated in the United States. They contained the key elements of ACP, such as discussing and documenting goals and preferences for future care. As participants considered programs as easy to use and not burdensome, they appeared to be feasible. Among the 13 studies that measured the effectiveness of programs, improvement in ACP knowledge, communication, and documentation was reported. The concordance between preferred and received care is yet understudied. Studies with high-quality study designs in different health care settings are warranted to further establish the feasibility and effectiveness of Web-based ACP programs.

Project description:BackgroundDespite great need, the number of HIV prevention implementation studies remains limited. The challenge for researchers, in this time of limited HIV services agency resources, is to conceptualize and test how to disseminate efficacious, practical, and sustainable prevention programs more rapidly, and to understand how to do so in the absence of additional agency resources. We tested whether training and technical assistance (TA) in a couple-based HIV prevention program using a Web-based modality would yield greater program adoption of the program compared to training and TA in the same program in a manual-based modality among facilitators who delivered the interventions at 80 agencies in New York State.MethodsThis study used a cluster randomized controlled design. Participants were HIV services agencies (N = 80) and up to 6 staff members at each agency (N = 253). Agencies were recruited, matched on key variables, and randomly assigned to two conditions. Staff members participated in a four-day, face-to-face training session, followed by TA calls at two and four months, and follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 18 months post- training and TA. The primary outcomes examined number of couples with whom staff implemented the program, mean number of sessions implemented, whether staff implemented at least one session or whether staff implemented a complete intervention (all six sessions) of the program. Outcomes were measured at both the agency and participant level.ResultsOver 18 months following training and TA, at least one participant from 13 (33%) Web-based assigned agencies and 19 (48%) traditional agencies reported program use. Longitudinal multilevel analysis found no differences between groups on any outcomes at the agency or participant level with one exception: Web-based agencies implemented the program with 35% fewer couples compared with staff at manual-based agencies (IRR 0.35, CI, 0.13-0.94).ConclusionGreater implementation of a Web-based program may require more resources and staff exposure, especially when paired with a couple-based modality. Manual-based and traditional programs may hold some advantage or ease for implementation, particularly at a time of low economic resources.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01863537.

Project description:IntroductionIncreased physical exercise is linked to enhanced brain health and reduced dementia risk. Exercise intervention studies usually are conducted at facilities in groups under trainer supervision. To improve scalability, accessibility, and engagement, programs may need to be structured such that individuals can execute and adjust routines in their own homes.MethodsOne hundred eighty-three healthy older adults from two sites (the United States and Sweden) were screened. One hundred fifty-six subjects (mean age 73.2), randomly assigned to one of four interventions (PACE-Yourself physical exercise program, mindfulness meditation, or Cogmed® adaptive or nonadaptive computerized working memory training) began the study. All interventions were structurally similar: occurring in subjects' homes using interactive, web-based software, over five weeks, ∼175 minutes/week. In the PACE-Yourself program, video segments presented aerobic exercises at different pace and intensity (P&I). The program paused frequently, allowing subjects to indicate whether P&I was "too easy," "too hard," or "somewhat hard." P&I of the subsequent exercise set was adjusted, allowing subjects to exercise at a perceived exertion level of "somewhat hard." Program completion was defined as finishing ≥60% of sessions.ResultsA high percentage of participants in all groups completed the program, although the number (86%) was slightly lower in the PACE-Yourself group than the other three. Excluding dropouts, the PACE-Yourself group had a lower adherence rate of 93%, compared with the other three (∼98%). Over the five weeks, PACE-Yourself participants increased exercising at the highest intensity level, consistent with augmented aerobic activity over time. The number of exercise sessions completed predicted the postintervention versus preintervention increase in self-reported level of physical activity.DiscussionThis study supports the feasibility of a home-based, subject-controlled, exercise program in which P&I is regulated via real-time participant feedback, which may promote self-efficacy. Further study is needed to determine if similar results are found over longer periods and in more diverse populations.