Christiane Bleich1, Cathrin Büscher1, Hanne Melchior1, Anna Grochocka2, Andrea Thorenz3, Holger Schulz1, Uwe Koch1, Birgit Watzke1,4. 1. Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 2. Beta Institute, Institute for Applied Health Care Management, Sociomedical Research and Development, Augsburg, Germany. 3. Resource Lab/Institute of Materials Resource Management, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany. 4. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Research, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Case management (CM) programs are intended to improve care coordination for cancer patients. This quasi-experimental, controlled study evaluated whether such a program was effective in improving health-related quality of life and reducing the psychological distress of breast cancer patients. METHODS: For the study, 126 patients with CM and 118 patients with treatment as usual (TAU) were surveyed at baseline, a 6-month follow-up and a 12-month follow-up. Comparisons of the two groups with regard to quality of life (Short Form-8, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-11; primary outcome) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, distress thermometer; secondary outcome) were conducted. RESULTS: Univariate t-tests regarding the primary and secondary outcomes demonstrated improvements in the relevant outcomes at the 6-month and 12-month follow-ups for the intervention group as well as for the control group. An analysis of covariance revealed that the controls showed a higher level of physical quality of life at the 12-month follow-up than the other time points and no differences at 6 months after the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The tested CM model did not improve the quality of life or psychological well-being of the patients beyond treatment as usual. Possible reasons include that the treatment was already of high standards in the control group or that there are possibly different impacts than found in the literature regarding different forms of organization in CM. The need for and the tailoring of this CM model as well as the transfer of CM to other oncological indications remain to be clarified.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Case management (CM) programs are intended to improve care coordination for cancerpatients. This quasi-experimental, controlled study evaluated whether such a program was effective in improving health-related quality of life and reducing the psychological distress of breast cancerpatients. METHODS: For the study, 126 patients with CM and 118 patients with treatment as usual (TAU) were surveyed at baseline, a 6-month follow-up and a 12-month follow-up. Comparisons of the two groups with regard to quality of life (Short Form-8, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-11; primary outcome) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, distress thermometer; secondary outcome) were conducted. RESULTS: Univariate t-tests regarding the primary and secondary outcomes demonstrated improvements in the relevant outcomes at the 6-month and 12-month follow-ups for the intervention group as well as for the control group. An analysis of covariance revealed that the controls showed a higher level of physical quality of life at the 12-month follow-up than the other time points and no differences at 6 months after the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The tested CM model did not improve the quality of life or psychological well-being of the patients beyond treatment as usual. Possible reasons include that the treatment was already of high standards in the control group or that there are possibly different impacts than found in the literature regarding different forms of organization in CM. The need for and the tailoring of this CM model as well as the transfer of CM to other oncological indications remain to be clarified.
Authors: Julia Strupp; Christina Dose; Ulrike Kuhn; Maren Galushko; Anne Duesterdiek; Nicole Ernstmann; Holger Pfaff; Christoph Ostgathe; Raymond Voltz; Heidrun Golla Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2017-09-17 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Michael Kusch; Hildegard Labouvie; Vera Schiewer; Natalie Talalaev; Jan C Cwik; Sonja Bussmann; Lusine Vaganian; Alexander L Gerlach; Antje Dresen; Natalia Cecon; Sandra Salm; Theresia Krieger; Holger Pfaff; Clarissa Lemmen; Lisa Derendorf; Stephanie Stock; Christina Samel; Anna Hagemeier; Martin Hellmich; Bernd Leicher; Gregor Hültenschmidt; Jessica Swoboda; Peter Haas; Anna Arning; Andrea Göttel; Kathrin Schwickerath; Ullrich Graeven; Stefanie Houwaart; Hedy Kerek-Bodden; Steffen Krebs; Christiana Muth; Christina Hecker; Marcel Reiser; Cornelia Mauch; Jennifer Benner; Gerdamarie Schmidt; Christiane Karlowsky; Gisela Vimalanandan; Lukas Matyschik; Lars Galonska; Annette Francke; Karin Osborne; Ursula Nestle; Markus Bäumer; Kordula Schmitz; Jürgen Wolf; Michael Hallek Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-04-22 Impact factor: 2.908