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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in the U.S. Only 5% of patients survive five years and nearly 80% die within a year. Patients and family members are faced immediately with difficult decisions related to treatment, clinical trials and palliative care. This Phase I SBIR will result in a prototype CD-ROM with information and interactive tools to help pancreatic cancer patients and their families make informed decisions about treatment, clinical trials and palliative care. In Phase 1, formative evaluation and usability testing will inform the content and design of the CD-ROM. The prototype will include information and interactive tools in a graphic interface that indicates the full scope of content. Formative evaluation, usability testing and a one-group pre/post prototype test will assess the feasibility of using this product to change cancer patients' and family members' knowledge and self-efficacy about making and implementing informed decisions about their care. In Phase II, we will produce the remainder of the information and tools and test the CD-ROM in a field test to determine its effectiveness in changing decision behavior, patient quality of life and family caregiver well-being, with changes in knowledge and self-efficacy as intermediate variables.