Care Partners: Web-based Support for Caregivers of Veterans Undergoing Chemotherapy
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Cancer
In brief
Given the growing strain on the Veterans Administration resulting from increasing caseloads of cancer patients, interventions are badly needed that assist patients in managing their illness, improve quality of life and avoid acute episodes that result in urgent care use and increased mortality. Previous studies have found that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can effectively manage their own symptoms when monitored using automated telephone calls. Such technology, however, may challenge the number of Veterans who lack social support and/or independence. The goal was to develop and test a technology that not only monitors patients automatically by telephone, but also gives them self management advice and engages a friend or family member to serve as a CarePartner willing to play a limited role in identifying patient symptoms and psychosocial needs to reinforce self management and provide social support. The investigators found that this technology indeed helped patients better control their symptoms, especially when a caregiver participated in the program along with them.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT00983892
- Run by
- VA Office of Research and Development
- People needed
- 134
- Starts
- 2009-10-01
- Expected to finish
- 2015-02-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2016-03-22
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Patients must be 18 years or older, cognitively intact, English-speaking, able to hear, and own a telephone.
- Patients can have any solid tumor.
- Patients must be initiating IV cytotoxic chemotherapy and, if recurrent, have experienced a 1 month treatment free interval.
- Caregivers must be 18 years or older, cognitively intact, English-speaking, and able to hear/speak for interviews.
- Caregivers must have access to a telephone and computer with high speed internet access.
You may not qualify if…
- Patients will be excluded if they have a hematologic malignancy or are receiving bone marrow transplantation.
- Patients and caregivers will be excluded if they have an untreated serious mental illness or cognitive impairment, are institutionalized or enrolled in hospice (prior to trial), or plan on not receiving all care from VA
Where it is running
- VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, CA — Loma Linda, California, United States
- VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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