Acceptability and Feasibility of eSCCIP: Results From a Pilot Study of the Electronic Surviving Cancer Competently Intervention Program

Kimberly S. Canter, Gabriela Vega, Alejandra Perez Ramirez, Angel Munoz Osorio, Courtney Thomas, Amanda M. Lewis, Kamyar Arasteh, Anne Kazak

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background Providing high-quality psychosocial care to parents and other primary caregivers of children with cancer (henceforth referred to as caregivers) is important, given the numerous challenges associated with a pediatric cancer diagnosis and the increased risk for negative psychosocial sequelae among caregivers. The Electronic Surviving Cancer Competently Intervention Program (eSCCIP) is a psychosocial eHealth intervention for caregivers, developed using an iterative, user-centered process. Method eSCCIP was tested in a single-arm pilot trial at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware (NCT05333601). The primary outcomes were intervention acceptability and feasibility, assessed via enrollment and retention targets, and item-level acceptability ratings. Enrollment and retention targets of 45% were set based on previous work, and an item-level acceptability threshold of 80% was set. A secondary exploratory analysis was conducted examining acute distress, anxiety, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and family functioning. Results 44 caregivers enrolled in the study and 31 completed. The intervention was rated favorably by completers, with over 80% of the sample selecting “mostly true” or “very true” for all items of the eSCCIP Evaluation Questionnaire, which was used to assess acceptability and feasibility. Enrollment and retention rates were 54% and 70%, respectively. Exploratory psychosocial outcomes showed statistically significant decreases from pre-intervention to post-intervention for overall symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cluster D symptoms of PTSD (negative mood and cognitions), and anxiety. Small-moderate effect sizes were observed for all psychosocial outcomes of interest. Conclusions eSCCIP is an acceptable and feasible intervention for caregivers. Results are promising regarding reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress and anxiety.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)216-227
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Pediatric Psychology
Volume48
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Mar 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • eHealth
  • pediatric oncology
  • psychosocial intervention

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