None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate whether proactive telephone or online support for lung cancer patients can improve patient wellbeing. Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are aged 18 years or over, have been diagnosed with any form of lung cancer in the past 4 months and have internet access on any device. Study details Lung cancer patients often experience poorer prognosis, more severe physical effects and more pronounced psychosocial distress than patients with other major cancers. A highly accessible and sustainable source of personalised support for cancer patients is the Cancer Council Helpline in each state. Participants in this study will be randomly allocated (by chance) to receive either telephone support including at least 1 telephone call from the Helpline, Online support by email or live web chat including at least 1 email from the Helpline, or to receive a booklet 'Understanding lung cancer' in the mail. Helpline support provided to the telephone and email support groups includes information, linking callers with services in their local area, and providing emotional support. When patient distress is high or medical advice is required, referral to relevant services within or outside the Cancer Council will be offered. All participants will be asked to fill out a mailed questionnaire at 3 and 6 months after their enrolment in the study. It is hoped that this study will provide evidence of whether a proactive approach can recruit a high proportion of lung cancer patients to Helpline, whether the Helpline model of information and support is effective in improving wellbeing, and whether an electronic approach can provide equivalent outcomes to a telephone-based approach. These results will have national and international relevance for decisions about community-based information and support.
Interventions
Experimental group A: Proactive Telephone Delivered Support.
Patients will receive a 10-50 minute outbound call from a trained Helpline consultant. The Helpline consultant will also offer an additional, subsequent call-out. Following the completion of the two proactive calls from the Helpline, patients in this group can initiate further contact with the CCNSW Helpline if desired. While most contact is concluded within 3 months, there is no time limit on contact with the Helpline.
Call content w
Experimental group A: Proactive Telephone Delivered Support. Patients will receive a 10-50 minute outbound call from a trained Helpline consultant. The Helpline consultant will also offer an additional, subsequent call-out. Following the completion of the two proactive calls from the Helpline, patients in this group can initiate further contact with the CCNSW Helpline if desired. While most contact is concluded within 3 months, there is no time limit on contact with the Helpline. Call content will reflect usual Helpline care. Currently the Helpline offers accurate and up to date verbal and written information on cancer prevention, early detection and treatment; links callers with services in their local area; and provides low-intensity emotional support. When patient distress is high or medical advice is required, referral to relevant services within or outside the CCNSW will be offered. Patients’ families or support persons will also be eligible to receive a call-out or make call-ins to the study Helpline number if desired. All calls will be logged using the existing client record management system. Experimental group B: Proactive Online Delivered Support. Usual Helpline content (as described above) will be provided via typed rather than spoken communication, using email and on-line chat. The first contact to participants allocated to this intervention arm will be via email from the CCNSW Helpline consultant. The email will explain the available electronic options for support (email delivered or on-line typed live chat). The same information will also be sent by hard-copy surface mail. Participants will be able to use either or both modes of electronic contact according to their preference. Following their first electronic session, participants will be offered an additional email contact from the CCNSW Helpline. As in Arm A, patients’ families or support person’s will be eligible to receive online support from the Helpline if desired. Most contact will be concluded within a 3 month period, however there is no tie limit on contact with the Helpline. All email and on-line contact will be logged within the existing client record management system.
Sponsors
University of Newcastle
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
A primary diagnosis of lung cancer (any type including mesothelioma), up to 4 months post-diagnosis, have an approximate life expectancy of at least six months, are able to read English and have current internet access via any type of device.
Exclusion criteria
None other than the inverse of the inclusion criteria
Outcome results
None listed