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Improving psychosocial outcomes for caregivers of people with poor prognosis gastrointestinal cancers: a randomized controlled trial (Family Connect)

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Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated the effectiveness of a structured telephone intervention for caregivers of people diagnosed with poor prognosis gastrointestinal cancer to improve psychosocial outcomes for both caregivers and patients.

Methods

Caregivers of patients starting treatment for upper gastrointestinal or Dukes D colorectal cancer were randomly assigned (1:1) to the Family Connect telephone intervention or usual care. Caregivers in the intervention group received four standardized telephone calls in the 10 weeks following patient hospital discharge. Caregivers’ quality of life (QOL), caregiver burden, unmet supportive care needs and distress were assessed at 3 and 6 months. Patients’ QOL, unmet supportive care needs, distress and health service utilization were also assessed at these time points.

Results

Caregivers (128) were randomized to intervention or usual care groups. At 3 months, caregiver QOL scores and other caregiver-reported outcomes were similar in both groups. Intervention group participants experienced a greater sense of social support (p = .049) and reduced worry about finances (p = .014). Patients whose caregiver was randomized to the intervention also had fewer emergency department presentations and unplanned hospital readmissions at 3 months post-discharge (total 17 vs. 5, p = .01).

Conclusions

This standardized intervention did not demonstrate any significant improvements in caregiver well-being but did result in a decrease in patient emergency department presentations and unplanned hospital readmissions in the immediate post-discharge period. The trend towards improvements in a number of caregiver outcomes and the improvement in health service utilization support further development of telephone-based caregiver-focused supportive care interventions.

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Acknowledgments

The researchers would like to thank the patients and caregivers who participated in this study. We thank Caroline Wildbourne, Jane-Louise Sinclair and Dr Penelope De Lacavalerie for their assistance with recruitment at their respective sites and Maryann Kurien for her research assistance. We also thank Nicholas Marsden and Emma Jane Li Sian Boles for delivering the intervention. Jane Young was supported by a Cancer Institute NSW Academic Leader in Cancer Epidemiology grant. This study was funded by National Health and Medical Research (NHMRC) Project Grant 632645.

Conflict of interest

None to declare

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health,, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Jane M. Young, Tim Badgery-Parker & Ivana Durcinoska

  2. Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group, School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Level 6 Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Joanne M. Shaw & Phyllis N. Butow

  3. Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Charbel Sandroussi, Vincent Lam, Emma Johnston & Michael J. Solomon

  4. Surgical Outcomes Research Centre, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Jane M. Young, Phyllis N. Butow, Tim Badgery-Parker, Ivana Durcinoska, Charbel Sandroussi & Michael J. Solomon

  5. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    David Martin, Charbel Sandroussi, David Joseph & Michael J. Solomon

  6. Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney Local Health District, Concord, NSW, Australia

    David Martin & David Joseph

  7. Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Michael Hollands, Vincent Lam & Emma Johnston

  8. Bankstown-Lidcome Hospital, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Bankstown, NSW, Australia

    Amitabha Das

  9. University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    James D. Harrison

  10. University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

    Patricia M. Davidson

Authors
  1. Joanne M. Shaw
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  2. Jane M. Young
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  3. Phyllis N. Butow
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  7. Patricia M. Davidson
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  8. David Martin
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  9. Charbel Sandroussi
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  10. Michael Hollands
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  11. David Joseph
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  13. Vincent Lam
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  14. Emma Johnston
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  15. Michael J. Solomon
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joanne M. Shaw.

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Shaw, J.M., Young, J.M., Butow, P.N. et al. Improving psychosocial outcomes for caregivers of people with poor prognosis gastrointestinal cancers: a randomized controlled trial (Family Connect). Support Care Cancer 24, 585–595 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2817-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2817-3

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