Cancer health self-efficacy improvement in a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

eHealth interventions can help cancer survivors self-manage their health outside the clinic. Little is known about how best to engage and assist survivors across the age and cancer treatment spectra.

METHODS:

The American Cancer Society conducted a randomized controlled trial that assessed efficacy of, and engagement with, Springboard Beyond Cancer, an eHealth self-management program for cancer survivors. Intent-to treat analyses assessed effects of intervention engagement for treatment (on-treatment vs completed) overall (n = 176; 88 control, 88 intervention arm) and separately by age (<60 years vs older). Multiple imputation was used to account for participants who were lost to follow-up (n = 41) or missing self-efficacy data (n = 1) at 3 months follow-up.

RESULTS:

Self-efficacy for managing cancer, the primary outcome of this trial, increased significantly within the intervention arm and for those who had completed treatment (Cohen's d = 0.26, 0.31, respectively). Additionally, participants with moderate-to-high engagement in the text and/or web intervention (n = 30) had a significantly greater self-efficacy for managing cancer-related issues compared to the control group (n = 68), with a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.44). Self-efficacy did not differ between the intervention and control arm at 3 months post-baseline.

CONCLUSIONS:

Study results suggest that cancer survivors benefit variably from eHealth tools. To maximize effects of such tools, it is imperative to tailor information to a priori identified survivor subgroups and increase engagement efforts.

• Authors: Corinne R Leach, Shawna V Hudson, Michael A Diefenbach, Kara P Wiseman, Amy Sanders, Kisha Coa, Sicha Chantaprasopsuk, Robert L Stephens, Catherine M Alfano
• Journal: Cancer (Cancer) Vol. 128 Issue 3 Pg. 597-605 (02 01 2022) ISSN: 1097-0142 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34668569 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2021 American Cancer Society.

Topics

• Cancer Survivors
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms (therapy)
• Self Efficacy
• Self-Management
• Survivors
• Telemedicine (methods)