Titler, M.G., Visovatti, M.A., Shuman, C., Ellis, K.R., Banerjee, T., Dockham, B., . . . Northouse, L. (2017). Effectiveness of implementing a dyadic psychoeducational intervention for cancer patients and family caregivers. Supportive Care in Cancer, 25, 3395–3406.
To test FOCUS, which is an evidence-based psychoeducational intervention, in terms of its feasibility, cost, and program satisfaction and assess its impact on patients' and caregivers' emotional distress and QOL as primary outcomes and benefits of illness, self-efficacy, and dyadic communication as secondary outcomes in two community service centers.
FOCUS is a psychoeducational intervention that is delivered to dyads of patients and their caregivers and addresses the following components: family involvement, optimistic attitude, coping effectiveness, uncertainty reduction, and symptom management. The components cover 104 activities relevant to the components in five sessions. The FOCUS program was administered by a trained social worker in one site and a family therapist in the second site. FOCUS was administered in a group format (3 to 4 dyads) and involved five weekly face-to-face sessions; each was two hours. 11 five-session programs were given over 12 months. The program implementation was guided by the Translating Research into Practice model; a one-day training program was held for the site directors and facilitators and they were given training manuals that were developed based on their role. Pre-packaged material to implement the five-week sessions were provided, weekly calls between program facilitators took place, and monthly meetings occurred between investigators.
PHASE OF CARE: Multiple phases of care
Pre-/postintervention design. Outcomes were assessed prior to the first intervention session and after the last session at week 5 postintervention. Translating research into practice model was used to implement the intervention in the two sites.
Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Feasibility, satisfaction with program, and cost were also assessed. Feasibility was assessed by enrollment, retention, and intervention fidelity rates. Satisfaction was assessed by the FOCUS satisfaction instrument. Cost was assessed by multiplying hourly time estimates and median hourly wages for healthcare social workers in California and Ohio based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics.
In CSC, FOCUS intervention five-session, social-worker driven program is effective in improving caregivers’ (and patients’) outcomes. FOCUS appears to be feasible and acceptable with reasonable costs.
FOCUS is an effective psychoeducational intervention that can be administered by someone trained on the intervention and can be administered successfully in CSC.