Designing for Sustainability: Co-Designing and Testing the Efficacy of a Web-Based Toolkit to Improve Cancer-Related Emotional Distress and Anxiety for Rural Older Cancer Survivors
Northwestern University
Summary
This clinical trial tests how well a web based toolkit works to improve cancer related emotional distress and anxiety in rural older cancer survivors. Rural older adults with cancer-related distress are particularly vulnerable to poorer mental health and cancer-related outcomes including increased difficulties identifying symptoms of anxiety, a reduced likelihood of knowing when to access mental health services, and a higher likelihood of having poorly managed CRD, even after receiving a psychosocial referral. The web based tool kit called CONNECT addresses digital literacy and supports for cancer-related distress management through interactive activities for setting up telehealth visits, accessing educational materials about cancer-related distress, and providing individualized mental health resource recommendations. Using CONNECT may improve cancer related emotional distress and anxiety in rural older cancer survivors.
Description
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. Co-design Objective (Aim 1): Finalize the CONNECT digital tool design through qualitative co-design evaluations with stakeholders to prepare the intervention for efficacy testing. II. Efficacy Objective (Aim 2): Evaluate the efficacy of the CONNECT digital tool in reducing cancer-related distress among rural cancer survivors and caregivers, as measured by the validated 23-item Cancer and Treatment Distress Scale (CTXD), in a randomized controlled trial. III. Implementation Objective (Aim 3): Assess the feasibility and potential for scale-up of the CONNECT intervention…