Feasibility of delivering survivorship care via lay health educators: A pilot randomized controlled trial among rural cancer survivors

Purpose We tested the feasibility of survivorship care plan (SCP) delivery with/without a lay health educator (LHE) telephone‐delivered information session among rural cancer survivors, and their effects on health‐related self‐efficacy and knowledge of cancer history. Methods Randomized trial of can...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of rural health 2023-06, Vol.39 (3), p.666-675
Main Authors: Duggan, Catherine, Cushing‐Haugen, Kara L., Cole, Allison M., Allen, Jeffrey, Gilles, Ryan, Hornecker, Jaime R., Gutierrez, Adrianna I., Warner, Jude, Baker, K. Scott, Ceballos, Rachel M., Chow, Eric J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Aged
Cancer
Cancer Survivors
Clinical trials
Clinics
Effectiveness
Efficacy
Feasibility
Feasibility Studies
Female
Health education
Health Educators
Health literacy
Health status
Humans
Integrated care
Intervention
lay health educators
Literacy
Male
Medical diagnosis
Medical history
Medical records
Mental health
Neoplasms - therapy
Oncology
Patient Care Planning
Patients
Pilot Projects
Qualitative analysis
Questionnaires
randomized controlled trial
rural health
Survival
Survivor
Survivorship
survivorship care plans
Teachers
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Purpose We tested the feasibility of survivorship care plan (SCP) delivery with/without a lay health educator (LHE) telephone‐delivered information session among rural cancer survivors, and their effects on health‐related self‐efficacy and knowledge of cancer history. Methods Randomized trial of cancer survivors from 3 rural oncology clinics featuring either SCP alone (control) or SCP plus LHE‐delivered information session (intervention). Participants completed a questionnaire on health‐related self‐efficacy and knowledge of cancer‐specific medical history. Responses were compared to medical records for accuracy. SCPs were then mailed to participants. Approximately 5 months later, participants completed a follow‐up questionnaire. A subset of participants took part in subsequent qualitative interviews about their study experience. Findings Of 301 survivors approached, 72 (23.9%) were randomized (mean age 66.4 years; 3.1 years from diagnosis; 62.5% female), and 65 (90.3%) completed the study. Global mental and physical health or self‐efficacy scores did not change significantly from baseline to follow‐up for either group. In exploratory analyses, self‐efficacy increased in participants with inadequate/marginal health literacy in the intervention arm (+0.7, 95% CI = 0.1‐1.2; P = .01). Accuracy of knowledge did not improve but was high at baseline (mean 76.0±14.5%). 60.1% and 48.4% of control and intervention participants, respectively, found SCPs definitely/somewhat useful. Qualitative data (n = 20) suggested that SCPs were helpful to patients when primary and oncology care were less integrated. Conclusions An LHE‐delivered informational session was feasible but had limited benefit to rural cancer survivors versus delivery of SCP alone but may be of benefit to patients with low health literacy or with less integrated care.
ISSN:0890-765X
1748-0361
DOI:10.1111/jrh.12736