Neoplasms
Conditions
Keywords
Caregivers, Cancer, Information, Intervention, Randomised trial
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a systematic early assessment of uncovered needs for information, supplemented by an interview about the needs with the patient's nurse who seeks to provide the information requested, will improve the caregivers' and the patients' satisfaction with information and communication and potentially also decrease anxiety and depression.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIdentification and provision of lacking information
The intervention consists of an interview about the caregiver's responses (baseline measurement) to a list about 'lack of information' within 13 areas. For each area, the patient's nurse will enquire about what information is requested by the caregiver and the patient. Subsequently, the nurse provides the requested information. She may involve the doctor and arrange follow-up visits or phone calls until the need is covered
Sponsors
Danish Cancer Society
Herlev Hospital
Bispebjerg Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patient Inclusion Criteria: * Cancer patient * Newly refered to (i.e., this is the patient's first visit in) Department of Oncology, Herlev Hospital, in order to start medical treatment (e.g. chemotherapy) * Written informed consent Caregiver Inclusion Criteria: * Attends the first visit in the Department of Oncology with the patient * Has lacked information about at least one of the 13 aspects of information asked about in the questionnaire * Written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Patient and/or caregiver do not understand Danish well enough to participate in the study * The patient has an expected survival of less than six months
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Satisfaction with information from health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measure: The Cancer Caregiving Tasks, Consequences and Needs Questionnaire (CaTCoN) item 24 |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety and depression | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measure: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) |
| Satisfaction with support from health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measures: CaTCoN subscale Lack of attention from health care professionals on the caregivers' wellbeing |
| Fulfillment of needs | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measure: Family Inventory of Needs (FIN) |
| Satisfaction with information from health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measure: CaTCoN subscale Lack of information from health care professionals (revised version) |
| Satisfaction with communication with health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 2 weeks | Measure: CaTCoN subscale Problems with the quality of information and communication from health care professionals |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The time spent on information as reported by health care professionals | Weeks 0-6 from baseline | Investigated in focus group interviews with the health care professionals |
| Satisfaction with information from health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 12 weeks | Measure: CaTCoN item 24 |
| Satisfaction with communication with health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 12 weeks | Measure: CaTCoN subscale Problems with the quality of information and communication from health care professionals |
| Satisfaction with support from health care professionals | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 12 weeks | Measures: CaTCoN subscale Lack of attention from health care professionals on the caregivers' wellbeing |
| Anxiety and depression | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 12 weeks | Measure: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) |
| Fulfillment of needs | Change from baseline (enrollment) at 12 weeks | Measure: Family Inventory of Needs (FIN) |
Countries
Denmark
Outcome results
None listed