TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating a Volunteer Cancer Support Service
AU - Edgar, Linda J.
AU - Remmer, Jean
AU - Rosberger, Zeev
AU - Rapkin, Bruce
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was supported by Grant No. 004110 from the National Cancer Institute of Canada, with support from the Canadian Cancer Society and the Hope and Cope Research Fund. The authors appreciate the contributions of their research team and the Hope and Cope Department. They also thank Marc Fournier and Tom Brown for their statistical support and Kirk Brown for his helpful comments on earlier drafts of the article. Finally, they offer special thanks to all the individuals who participated in the study.
PY - 2003
Y1 - 2003
N2 - Hope and Cope, a voluntary self-help organization for cancer patients and their families, was evaluated as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial of newly diagnosed patients with breast or colon cancer. Measures of psychosocial distress, functional well-being, and optimism were evaluated four months after diagnosis (Time 1) and eight months later (Time 2). There were differences between the users and nonusers at Time 1: Users of Hope and Cope had greater needs but became more satisfied regarding resolution of their needs at Time 2 than did nonparticipants. The outcome of physical well-being was significantly better for those who took part in Hope and Cope. Participants of voluntary support organizations appear to make appropriate choices on the basis of their needs. Issues of patients' preference have not been given sufficient attention in psychosocial oncology research and may influence the results of such studies.
AB - Hope and Cope, a voluntary self-help organization for cancer patients and their families, was evaluated as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial of newly diagnosed patients with breast or colon cancer. Measures of psychosocial distress, functional well-being, and optimism were evaluated four months after diagnosis (Time 1) and eight months later (Time 2). There were differences between the users and nonusers at Time 1: Users of Hope and Cope had greater needs but became more satisfied regarding resolution of their needs at Time 2 than did nonparticipants. The outcome of physical well-being was significantly better for those who took part in Hope and Cope. Participants of voluntary support organizations appear to make appropriate choices on the basis of their needs. Issues of patients' preference have not been given sufficient attention in psychosocial oncology research and may influence the results of such studies.
KW - Evaluation research
KW - Newly diagnosed patients
KW - Program users and nonusers
KW - Voluntary support services
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U2 - 10.1300/J077v21n01_03
DO - 10.1300/J077v21n01_03
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0142184511
SN - 0734-7332
VL - 21
SP - 53
EP - 72
JO - Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
JF - Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
IS - 1
ER -
