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Validating the content of a brief informational intervention to empower patients and spouses facing breast cancer: perspectives of both couple members

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Abstract

Purpose

The study objectives were to identify key information components that would be the basic content of a brief informational intervention, developed from a population perspective, to empower individual couple members facing breast cancer and to validate the relevance and acceptability of these components.

Methods

A review of information relevant to couples facing cancer presented in internet sites and documents of national cancer organizations was made to identify information components to include in a brief informational intervention. These information components were framed as messages, that is, very brief sentences or tips. To validate the relevance and acceptability of these messages, six focus groups were conducted in Quebec City and Montreal among women who had had breast cancer and their spouses. Reactions to the messages were synthesized by analyzing the verbatim transcripts.

Results

A total of 70 individuals (35 women with an average of 14 months since diagnosis and 35 spouses) participated in the groups. The content of almost all messages was seen as relevant, although nuances and improvements were discussed. However, the message format provoked irritation and will need improvement.

Conclusions

Findings provide validation of the relevance, from the viewpoint of women and their spouses, of the message content to be part of a brief informational intervention intended to empower couples as they cope with breast cancer.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Couples approved of the idea of being guided in their adjustment to breast cancer. However, the message format requires adaptation and further testing.

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Acknowledgement

We thank the women and spouses who participated in this study, and Michel Lemieux, who led the focus groups. We thank one reviewer for his perceptive, constructive comments and clear suggestions for improvements.

Funding

Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance Developmental and Exploratory (DEX) grant, Grant No. # 017527, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR: Investigator award for EM, 2005–2010, and CIHR Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research (STIHR) Psychosocial Oncology Research Training program (PORT; Postdoctoral Fellowship Award for SL, 2008–2010); Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ; Investigator Award for MD).

Disclosure of conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada

    Marie-Claude Blais

  2. Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec (Axe Oncologie), Quebec, Canada

    Marie-Claude Blais, Elizabeth Maunsell, Michel Dorval & Louise Provencher

  3. CHU de Québec, Quebec, Canada

    Marie-Claude Blais & Sophie Grenier

  4. Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec (Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé), Quebec, Canada

    Sophie Lauzier

  5. Centre des maladies du sein Deschênes-Fabia, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Quebec, Canada

    Elizabeth Maunsell, Sophie Lauzier, Michel Dorval, Sylvie Pelletier & Louise Provencher

  6. Département de Médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

    Elizabeth Maunsell

  7. Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

    Sophie Lauzier & Michel Dorval

  8. Chair on adherence to treatments, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

    Sophie Lauzier

  9. École de criminologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

    Stéphane Guay

  10. Centre intégré du cancer du sein, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

    André Robidoux

  11. Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre des maladies du sein Deschênes-Fabia, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, 1050 chemin Ste-Foy, Quebec, QC, Canada, G1S 4L8

    Elizabeth Maunsell

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  1. Marie-Claude Blais
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  2. Elizabeth Maunsell
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  3. Sophie Grenier
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  4. Sophie Lauzier
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  5. Michel Dorval
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  6. Sylvie Pelletier
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  7. Stéphane Guay
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  8. André Robidoux
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  9. Louise Provencher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Maunsell.

Appendix

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Table 6 Internet sites of cancer organizations consulted
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Blais, MC., Maunsell, E., Grenier, S. et al. Validating the content of a brief informational intervention to empower patients and spouses facing breast cancer: perspectives of both couple members. J Cancer Surviv 8, 508–520 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-014-0359-1

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