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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): There are about 9 million people living with cancer in the U.S. Palliative care from diagnosis to death or survivorship can supplement curative care to improve quality of life for both patients and their family members. This Phase I SBIR will result in a prototype CD-ROM with information and interactive tools to help cancer patients and their families address palliative care decisions throughout the disease course. In Phase I, formative evaluation and usability testing will inform the content and design of the CD-ROM. The prototype will include information and three to five interactive tools in a graphic interface that reflects the entire scope of content. A one-group pre-post-test of the prototype will assess the feasibility of using this product to change cancer patients' and family members' knowledge and self-efficacy about making and implementing palliative care decisions. In Phase II, we will produce the remainder of the information and tools and test the CD-ROM in a randomized field test to determine its effectiveness in increasing palliative care-related decision behavior, patient quality of life, family caregiver well-being, and emotional state of both patients and family members, with changes in knowledge and self-efficacy as intermediate variables.