Wayne A Beach1, David M Dozier2, Mary K Buller3, Kyle Gutzmer2, Lyndsay Fluharty4, Valerie H Myers3, David B Buller3. 1. Department of Surgery, Member, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, UCSD/SDSU Joint Doctoral Program on Public Health, San Diego, United States. Electronic address: wbeach@mail.sdsu.edu. 2. San Diego State University, United States. 3. Klein Buendel, Inc., United States. 4. Telligen, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We address cancer communication by creating and assessing the impacts of a theatrical production, When Cancer Calls…(WCC…), anchored in conversations from the first natural history of a patient and family members talking through cancer on the telephone. METHODS: A national study was conducted using a multi-site and randomized controlled trial. An 80-minute video was produced to assess viewing impacts across cancer patients, survivors, and family members. Comparisons were made with a control video on cancer nutrition and diet. Pretest-posttest sample size was 1006, and 669 participants completed a 30-day follow-up impacts assessment. RESULTS: All five family and communication indices increased significantly for WCC…. When compared to the placebo, average pretest-posttest change scores were higher for self-efficacy (775%), family fabric (665%), outside support (189%), and family communication (97%). One month following viewings, WCC…participants reported 30% more conversations about cancer among patients and family members about cancer. CONCLUSION: A new genre of Entertainment-Education (E-E) was created that triggers positive reactions from audience members. Managing delicate and often complex communication about the trials, tribulations, hopes, and triumphs of cancer journeys is fundamentally important for everyday living. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Unique opportunities exist to make WCC… available to national and global audiences, create tailored curricula, and integrate these viewings into educational programs for patients, family members, and care-provider teams across diverse health, corporate, and governmental systems.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: We address cancer communication by creating and assessing the impacts of a theatrical production, When Cancer Calls…(WCC…), anchored in conversations from the first natural history of a patient and family members talking through cancer on the telephone. METHODS: A national study was conducted using a multi-site and randomized controlled trial. An 80-minute video was produced to assess viewing impacts across cancerpatients, survivors, and family members. Comparisons were made with a control video on cancer nutrition and diet. Pretest-posttest sample size was 1006, and 669 participants completed a 30-day follow-up impacts assessment. RESULTS: All five family and communication indices increased significantly for WCC…. When compared to the placebo, average pretest-posttest change scores were higher for self-efficacy (775%), family fabric (665%), outside support (189%), and family communication (97%). One month following viewings, WCC…participants reported 30% more conversations about cancer among patients and family members about cancer. CONCLUSION: A new genre of Entertainment-Education (E-E) was created that triggers positive reactions from audience members. Managing delicate and often complex communication about the trials, tribulations, hopes, and triumphs of cancer journeys is fundamentally important for everyday living. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Unique opportunities exist to make WCC… available to national and global audiences, create tailored curricula, and integrate these viewings into educational programs for patients, family members, and care-provider teams across diverse health, corporate, and governmental systems.
Keywords:
Communication and cancer; Conversation analysis; Entertainment–Education; Family cancer journeys; Health communication interventions; Randomized trials; When Cancer Calls…
Authors: Jonathan N Livingston; Nina P Smith; Catherine Mills; Dorothy M Singleton; Karen Dacons-Brock; Ricardo Richardson; Delores Grant; Howard Craft; Ken Harewood Journal: J Cancer Educ Date: 2009 Impact factor: 2.037