Objective: To test the feasibility of a randomized clinical trial to implement and compare the effectiveness of three components of an intervention for women with breast cancer and their partners and validate the Standardized Education by videotape (SE)and Telephone Counseling (TC) and Standardized Education with Telephone Counseling(SE+TC)interventions . Design: A quasi-experimental design was used to test the differential effectiveness of the intervention components, SE, TC, and SE+TC at each of the four phases of the breast cancer experience: diagnostic, postsurgery, adjuvant therapy, and ongoing recovery. Sample: A nonprobability sample of twelve patient-partner pairs experiencing first diagnosis of breast cancer was accrued from the Cancer Center of a community hospital in a culturally diverse community during 1998-1999. Variables: The standardized intervention, SE, TC, and SE+TC was tested for the differential effect on the outcome variables of emtional, social, and physical adjustment and the moderator variables, medical factors and resources including social support and coping skills. Method: Four patient-partner pairs were randomly assigned to each of the three intervention components. Trained Nurse Interventionists administered each intervention. A set of questionnaires was completed by each patient and partner at baseline and following each intervention for assessment of emotional, physical, and social adjustment, and perceived support and coping. Validation of the SE, TC, and SE+TC interventions was by analysis of data from the preliminary study (Hoskins, 1990-1994), pre and post tests for SE, audiotapes for each phase specific session for TC, and evaluation forms for each intervention session. Findings: Sample attrition was minimal and return rate for completed questionnaires for all five data collection points was high. Validation of the SE, TC, and SE+TC interventions was achieved. The highly positive findings included significant changes from pre to post measurement in patient and partner scores on the outcome and moderator variables and on intervention session evaluations in each of the four phases (p=.002, p=.001, p.=001,p=.002 respectively. Conclusions: Even with the limited statistical power, the effects were marked, lending support for a full-scale randomized clinical trial. Implications: The findings contribute to better understanding of the relative treatment efficacy and differential benefit of one or some interventions over others for women with breast cancer and their partners.
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