Promoting Patient and Caregiver Engagement to Care in Cancer.

Emanuela Saita,Sara Molgora,Chiara Acquati

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01660

Emanuela Saita, Sara Molgora + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01660

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Abstract

The positive outcomes associated with Patient Engagement (PE) have been strongly supported by the recent literature. However, this concept has been marginally addressed in the context of cancer. Limited attention has also received the role of informal caregivers in promoting physical and psychological well-being of patients, as well as the interdependence of dyads. The Cancer Dyads Group Intervention (CDGI) is a couple-based psychosocial intervention developed to promote engagement in management behaviors, positive health outcomes, and the quality of the relationship between cancer patients and their informal caregivers. The article examines the ability of the CDGI to promote adaptive coping behaviors and the perceived level of closeness by comparing cancer patients participating in the intervention and patients receiving psychosocial care at usual. Results indicate that individuals diagnosed with cancer attending the CDGI present significant increases in Fighting Spirit and Avoidance, while reporting also reduced levels of Fatalism and Anxious Preoccupation. Initial indications suggest that the intervention may contribute to strengthening the relationship with the primary support person.

Highlights

Patient engagement (PE) is defined as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral activation of patients in their care (Graffigna et al, 2013)
A significant gap in the current literature is the limited knowledge available about best practices to promote patients as well as informal caregivers’ activation and engagement (Donato and Bertoni, 2016). This evidence supports the need to develop psychosocial interventions dedicated to the patient-caregiver dyad, grounded in a theoretical model that values the role of close relationships and that can be aimed at increasing the level of patients and caregivers’ engagement in behaviors that (a) contribute to more beneficial adaptation to the cancer experience, and (b) support the bond between the individual and the informal caregiver
An Independent Samples t-test was used to compare the mean score of each coping strategy of individuals participating in the Cancer Dyads Group Intervention (CDGI) intervention and those of the control group at pre and post-test, in order to identify if the two groups were already different in their coping behaviors at pre-test and if a change occurred at the post-test

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Patient engagement (PE) is defined as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral activation of patients in their care (Graffigna et al, 2013). A significant gap in the current literature is the limited knowledge available about best practices to promote patients as well as informal caregivers’ activation and engagement (Donato and Bertoni, 2016). This evidence supports the need to develop psychosocial interventions dedicated to the patient-caregiver dyad, grounded in a theoretical model that values the role of close relationships and that can be aimed at increasing the level of patients and caregivers’ engagement in behaviors that (a) contribute to more beneficial adaptation to the cancer experience, and (b) support the bond between the individual and the informal caregiver. The article presents the available empirical evidence about the ability of the CDGI to promote adaptive coping behaviors and the quality of the relationship by comparing participants and individuals receiving usual psychosocial care

Participants

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RESULTS

DISCUSSION