Reducing cancer patients psychosocial needs. A Randomised Controlled Trial

Funded Activity Summary

With 345,000 cases of cancer diagnosed each year, cancer is one of the nation's health priority areas. Although significant improvements in the early detection and treatment of cancer have increased survival, these advancements may have added to the psychological, physical and resource burdens placed on patients by increasing the time between diagnosis and definitive outcome. Addressing the physical and psychological needs of cancer patients throughout the course of their illness has become an important component care. A potential mechanism for reducing the psychological morbidity associated with cancer is to intervene to reduce a patient's level of unmet needs. This proposal intends to test the cost-effectiveness of an innovative intervention to reduce the level of unmet needs among colorectal patients. The study involves recruiting patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer within the past 3 months through the cancer registry and assessing their level of unmet needs at four points-at entry into the study: 6-, 12- and 18- months post diagnosis. Experimental subjects will be assigned a specially trained volunteer worker attached to the cancer council to aid the patient in identifying resources to address their unmet needs. The volunteer will act as an information resource and emotional support person. The volunteer will access information about the patients unmet needs from study questionnaires, and work with patients to devise a plan for addressing their unmet needs. The study will determine whether the level of unmet needs among cancer patients can be reduced in this manner and whether this strategy also reduces psychological distress. The proposed research is unique as it could highlight mechanisms that could be utilised by all cancer councils in Australia. The intervention has the additional benefit of being able to reach all cancer patients in a particular state regardless of their geographic location or where they receive treatment.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2004

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $452,025.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Health Counselling

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

colorectal cancer patients | emotional support provision | health care evaluation | psychological morbidity | randomised control trial | unmet needs

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