Patrick McNees

Transition From Treatment to Survivorship: Effects of a Psychoeducational Intervention on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of a psychoeducational intervention on quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors in post-treatment survivorship. DESIGN A randomized controlled trial. SETTING An academic center collaborating with a regional cancer center in the southeastern United States. SAMPLE 256 breast cancer survivors. METHODS Women were randomly assigned to the experimental or wait control group. The Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI) study was delivered in three face-to-face sessions and five monthly follow-up sessions (three by telephone and two in person). The control group received four monthly attention control telephone calls and the BCEI at month 6. Data were collected at baseline, three and six months after the BCEI for the experimental group, and one month after the BCEI (at month 7) for the wait control group. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Primary endpoints were overall QOL and physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. FINDINGS No differences in QOL were reported at baseline between groups. The experimental group reported improved QOL at three months, whereas the wait control group reported a significant decline in QOL. The experimental group reported continued maintenance of QOL at six months. Although the wait control group reported improved QOL at six months, significant differences continued to exist between the groups. CONCLUSIONS The BCEI was an effective intervention in improving QOL during the first year of breast cancer survivorship. Treatment effects were durable over time. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Post-treatment survivorship has not been empirically studied to a large degree. The BCEI is one of the few interventions demonstrating effectiveness among survivors after primary treatment, suggesting that oncology nurses may be uniquely positioned to provide safe passage using education and support.

Does economic burden influence quality of life in breast cancer survivors

GOALS Economic burden is emerging as a crucial dimension in our understanding of adjustment to cancer during treatment. Yet, economic burden is rarely examined in cancer survivorship. The goal of this paper is to describe the effect of economic hardship and burden among women with breast cancer. METHODS We examined baseline and follow-up (3 and 6 month) data reported by 132 stage I and II breast cancer survivors assigned to the Wait Control arm of the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI), a clinical trial of education and support interventions. Repeated measures models fitted with linear mixed models were used to examine relationships between aspects of economic burden and overall quality of life (QOL) scores. Structural equation models (SEM) were used to examine the relationship between overall economic burden and QOL. RESULTS Nineteen economic events were reported. The proportion of survivors who reported increase in insurance premiums increased in the 6-month study period (p=.022). The proportion of survivors reporting change in motivation (p=.016), productivity (p=.002), quality of work (p=.01), days missed from work (p<.001) and sacrificing other things (p=.001) declined. An increase in economic events was significantly associated with poorer quality of life at each of the study time points. CONCLUSION Economic burden of breast cancer extends into post-treatment survivorship. Better understanding of economic impact and managing economic burden may help maintain QOL.

Technology, cognitive remediation, and nursing: directions for successful cognitive aging.

Many older adults experience cognitive difficulties and declines as a part of normal aging. Nurses and other health care professionals will require assistance in technologies that can help older patients maintain or improve cognition. Cognitive remediation represents a well-established laboratory approach that augments cognitive functioning in older adults. Emerging technologies allow such cognitive remediation to be self-administered through gaming software, making it convenient, fun, and inexpensive to deliver. As such, guiding older patients, as well as some facilities, in this direction may be a way to help. However, certain caveats and suggestions are warranted.

An application of longitudinal analysis with skewed outcomes.

Background: Longitudinal designs are indispensable to the study of change in outcomes over time and have an important role in health, social, and behavioral sciences. However, these designs present statistical challenges particularly related to accounting for the variance and covariance of the repeated measurements on the same participants and to modeling outcomes that are not normally distributed. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to introduce a general methodology for longitudinal designs to address these statistical challenges and to present an example of an analysis conducted with data collected in a randomized clinical trial. In this example, the outcome of interest-monthly health-related out-of-pocket expenses incurred by breast cancer survivors-had a skewed distribution. Methods: Common statistical approaches are for longitudinal analysis using linear and generalized linear mixed models are reviewed, and the discussed methods are applied to analyze monthly health-related out-of-pocket expenses. Discussion: Although standard statistical software is available to conduct longitudinal analyses, training is necessary to understand and to take advantage of the various options available for model fitting. However, knowledge of the basics of the methodology allows assimilation and incorporation into practice of evidence from the numerous studies that use these designs.

Application of the CuSum Technique to Evaluate Changes in Recruitment Strategies

Background: While lagging subject enrollment in longitudinal clinical trials is a complex problem, the best recruitment strategy has not been established. Cumulative summation (CuSum) is a statistical process control procedure often applied in quality improvement efforts to detect trend shifts in highly variable serial data. Objectives: To describe changes in efforts to increase referrals and enrollment in a longitudinal quality-of-life breast cancer study, determine effects of changes in referral strategies on enrollment using a novel application of CuSum, and discuss implications of CuSum as a tool for prospectively managing the subject recruitment process. Method: Ten referrals and eight enrollments per month for a total of 31 months were estimated to meet study subject accrual requirements in the clinical trial. The estimates were used as standards in performing CuSum calculations. CuSum was applied to monthly referral and enrollment data and trend graphs were generated. Alterations in recruitment tactics and strategies were evaluated as to whether changes in trend occasioned such alterations. Unplanned changes in trend were noted. Results: While monthly data were highly variable, an average of 8.42 referrals and 5.92 enrollments were realized during Months 1-12. Based on these figures, projected accrual for 31 months would have enrolled only 184 subjects, 66 subjects short of target. CuSum illustrated this trend. Subsequent shifts in enrollment trends were shown with improvements in referral. Discussion: Indications for use of CuSum include (a) earlier detection of enrollment trend shifts, and (b) earlier discrimination between effective and ineffective recruitment. Thus, CuSum has implications for both evaluating the effects of planned and unplanned process changes and for managing the recruitment process.

Acceptability of Delivering and Accessing Health Information Through Text Messaging Among Community Health Advisors

Background Communication technologies can play a significant role in decreasing communication inequalities and cancer disparities by promoting cancer control and enhancing population and individual health. Studies have shown that technology, such as the mobile phone short message service (SMS) or text messaging, can be an effective health communication strategy that influences individuals’ health-related decisions, behaviors, and outcomes. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore usage of communication technologies, assess the acceptability of mobile technology for delivery and access of health information, and identify cancer and health information needs among Deep South Network for Cancer Control trained Community Health Advisors as Research Partners (CHARPs). Methods A mixed-method design was used, and a triangulation protocol was followed to combine quantitative and qualitative data. Focus groups (4 focus groups; n=37) and self-administered surveys (n=77) were conducted to determine CHARPs mobile phone and text message usage. The objective was to include identification of barriers and facilitators to a mobile phone intervention. Results All participants were African American (37/37, 100%), 11/37 (89%) were women, and the mean age was 53.4 (SD 13.9; focus groups) and 59.9 (SD 8.7; survey). Nearly all (33/37, 89%) of focus group participants reported owning a mobile phone. Of those, 8/33 (24%) owned a smartphone, 22/33 (67%) had a text messaging plan, and 18/33 (55%) and 11/33 (33%) received and sent text messages several times a week or day, respectively. Similar responses were seen among the survey participants, with 75/77 (97%) reporting owning a mobile phone, and of those, 22/75 (30%) owned a smartphone, 39/75 (53%) had a text messaging plan, and 37/75 (50%) received and 27/75 (37%) sent text messages several times a week or day. The benefits of a text messaging system mentioned by focus group participants included alternative form of communication, quick method for disseminating information, and privacy of communication. The main barriers reported by both groups to using mobile technology to receive health information were cost and not knowing how to text message. Ways to overcome barriers were explored with focus group participants, and education was the most proposed solution. Majority of CHARPs were in favor of receiving a weekly text message that would provide cancer/health information. Conclusions The findings from this study indicate that CHARPs are receptive to receiving text messages focusing on cancer/health information and would be likely to engage in mobile health research. These findings represent the first step in the development of an interactive mobile health program designed to provide cancer/health information and a support network for the Deep South Network Community Health Advisors as Research Partners (DSN CHARPs).

Out-of-pocket costs and burden among rural breast cancer survivors

Little is known about out‐of‐pocket (OOP) costs incurred for medical and health needs by rural breast cancer survivors and what factors may be associated with higher OOP costs and the associated economic burden. Data were examined for 432 survivors participating in the Rural Breast Cancer Survivor Intervention trial. OOP costs were collected using the Work and Finances Inventory survey at baseline and four assessments every 3 months. Mean and median OOP costs and burden (percent of monthly income spent on OOP costs) were reported and factors associated with OOP costs and burden identified with generalized linear models fitted with over‐dispersed gamma distributions and logarithmic links (OOP costs) and with beta distributions with logit link (OOP burden). OOP costs per month since the end of treatment were on average

Predictors of attrition among rural breast cancer survivors.

232.7 (median

A Revision of the Quality of Life-Breast Cancer Survivors (QOL-BCS) Instrument

95.6), declined at the next assessment point to

Index of Research Access: an estimate of travel accessibility for research

186.5 (median