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Evaluation of a novel telemedicine‐based intervention to manage body image disturbance in head and neck cancer survivors
Author(s) -
Graboyes Evan M.,
Maurer Stacey,
Park Yeonhee,
Marsh Courtney H.,
McElligott James T.,
Day Terry A.,
Hornig Joshua D.,
Sterba Katherine R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.5399
Subject(s) - head and neck cancer , medicine , telemedicine , physical therapy , head and neck , coping (psychology) , randomized controlled trial , intervention (counseling) , cancer , surgery , clinical psychology , nursing , health care , economics , economic growth
Objectives The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary clinical impact of BRIGHT (Building a Renewed ImaGe after Head & neck cancer Treatment), a novel telemedicine‐based cognitive‐behavioral intervention to manage body image disturbance (BID) in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. Methods Head and neck cancer survivors with BID were enrolled into a single‐arm pilot trial. Participants completed study measures at baseline, 1‐ and 3‐months post‐BRIGHT to assess its acceptability and clinical impact. Participants completed semi‐structured interviews to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of BRIGHT and refine the intervention. Results Ten HNC survivors with BID were enrolled into the trial of tablet‐based BRIGHT. BRIGHT was feasible, as judged by low dropout (n = 1), high session completion rates (100%; 45/45) and low rates of technical issues with the tablet‐based delivery (11% minor; 0% major). Ninety percent of participants were highly likely to recommend BRIGHT, reflecting its acceptability. BRIGHT was associated with a 34.5% reduction in mean Body Image Scale scores at 1‐month post‐BRIGHT (mean difference from baseline = 4.56; 95% CI 1.55, 7.56), an effect that was durable at 3‐months post‐BRIGHT (mean decrease from baseline = 3.56; 95% CI 1.15‐5.96). Program evaluation revealed high levels of satisfaction with BRIGHT, particularly the delivery platform. During the qualitative evaluation, participants highlighted that BRIGHT improved image‐related coping behavior. Conclusions BRIGHT is feasible, acceptable to HNC survivors, and has significant potential as a novel approach to manage BID in HNC survivors. Additional research is necessary to refine BRIGHT and evaluate its clinical efficacy and scalability.