Internet-Based Group Intervention for Ovarian Cancer Survivors: Feasibility and Preliminary Results

Abstract

BackgroundDevelopment of psychosocial group interventions for ovarian cancer survivors has been limited. Drawing from elements of cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM), mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), we developed and conducted preliminary testing of an Internet-based group intervention tailored specifically to meet the needs of ovarian cancer survivors. The Internet-based platform facilitated home delivery of the psychosocial intervention to a group of cancer survivors for whom attending face-to-face programs could be difficult given their physical limitations and the small number of ovarian cancer survivors at any one treatment site.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to develop, optimize, and assess the usability, acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary intended effects of an Internet-based group stress management intervention for ovarian cancer survivors delivered via a tablet or laptop.MethodsIn total, 9 ovarian cancer survivors provided feedback during usability testing. Subsequently, 19 survivors participated in 5 waves of field testing of the 10-week group intervention led by 2 psychologists. The group met weekly for 2 hours via an Internet-based videoconference platform. Structured interviews and weekly evaluations were used to elicit feedback on the website and intervention content. Before and after the intervention, measures of mood, quality of life (QOL), perceived stress, sleep, and social support were administered. Paired t tests were used to examine changes in psychosocial measures over time.ResultsUsability results indicated that participants (n=9) performed basic tablet functions quickly with no errors and performed website functions easily with a low frequency of errors. In the field trial (n=19), across 5 groups, the 10-week intervention was well attended. Perceived stress (P=.03) and ovarian cancer-specific QOL (P=.01) both improved significantly during the course of the intervention. Trends toward decreased distress (P=.18) and greater physical (P=.05) and functional well-being (P=.06) were also observed. Qualitative interviews revealed that the most common obstacles participants experienced were technical issues and the time commitment for practicing the techniques taught in the program. Participants reported that the intervention helped them to overcome a sense of isolation and that they appreciated the ability to participate at home.ConclusionsAn Internet-based group intervention tailored specifically for ovarian cancer survivors is highly usable and acceptable with moderate levels of feasibility. Preliminary psychosocial outcomes indicate decreases in perceived stress and improvements in ovarian cancer-specific QOL following the intervention. A randomized clinical trial is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of this promising intervention for ovarian cancer survivors.

Effect of lymphedema self-management group-based education compared with social network-based education on quality of life and fear of cancer recurrence in women with breast cancer: a randomized controlled clinical trial

“…It can be considered as an advantage of this study that the educational effect was persistent after three months of intervention. In other studies that have examined the impact of Web-based or Internet-based interventions on QoL of cancer survivors, social performance has not changed significantly after interventions [41][42][43]. Although these methods and social network-based methods are not ineffective and they have a high rate of patient participation due to their ease of access, one of their biggest challenges is low treatment adherence, which affects treatment effectiveness [19].…”

The effectiveness of online interventions for patients with gynecological cancer: An integrative review

“…Of the 16 studies, seven were conducted in the United States [26,32,36,37,[40][41][42], seven were conducted in mainland China [27][28][29][30][31]33,34], one was conducted in Canada [25,38], and one was conducted in Australia [35,39]. All studies were published between 2003 and 2019, and 75% (12/16) of the studies were published between 2016 and 2019 [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][39][40][41][42]. The majority of the patients recruited were highly educated (college or higher) in six studies [25,26,32,33,38,41,42].…”

“…1). The 18 articles were originally classified into ten quantitative [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34], four qualitative [35][36][37][38], and four mixed-methods [39][40][41][42] study designs. Classen et al [25] and Wiljer et al [38] reported different findings from the GyneGals program, and Erfani et al [35] and Erfani et al [39] explored the different perspectives of the Ovarian Cancer Australia (OCA) Facebook.…”

Scientists probe link between stress and cancer

“…Lutgendorf focuses on ovarian cancer, another disease with a high mortality rate. Recently, she developed a web‐based intervention for these patients that attempts to provide them with better social support, enabling them to connect with one another online, learn meditation and stress management skills, and find meaning in their lives . Although her research is in its early stages, it is modeled after a program developed by Michael Antoni, PhD, director of the Center for Psycho‐Oncology Research at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.…”

“…Recently, she developed a web-based intervention for these patients that attempts to provide them with better social support, enabling them to connect with one another online, learn meditation and stress management skills, and find meaning in their lives. 3 Although her research is in its early stages, it is modeled after a program developed by Michael Antoni, PhD, director of the Center for Psycho-Oncology Research at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. He and his colleagues also have performed extensive research in this area and demonstrated in a National Cancer Institute-funded randomized controlled trial that patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer who learned cognitive behavioral techniques such as muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and coping skills in the weeks after surgery had improved survival and a greater disease-free interval after undergoing the intervention.…”