NCT05958316

Heuristic Tool To Improve Symptom Self-Management in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

A Randomized Controlled Trial Using a Heuristic Tool To Improve Symptom Self-Management in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 126 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 15 Years – 29 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Determine the effects of the Computerized Symptom Assessment Tool (C-SCAT) versus usual care on the primary outcomes of self-efficacy for symptom management and symptom self-management behaviors

Detailed description

This is a multi-site two-group randomized control trial (RCT) design to evaluate the effects of the Computerized Symptom Assessment Tool (C-SCAT) for improving symptom self-management versus usual care in 126 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who are within the first three months of a diagnosis of cancer and who are receiving cancer treatment. For this study, cancer treatment will be defined as a prescribed infusion ( e.g., chemotherapy, immunotherapy).

Conditions

• Symptoms and Signs
• Cancer
• Childhood Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT) Intervention	The C-SCAT includes the 32 symptoms from the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Users select symptoms they have experienced over the past week, rate each symptom's severity and distress, and name a perceived cause. They then identify temporal and causal relationships between symptoms using lines and arrows, designate groups, i.e., "clusters" of symptoms, and give a name to each cluster. They are asked the reason for a symptom's designation as a priority symptom and what they do to alleviate that symptom. Next, they are asked to designate a priority cluster and finally, to confirm whether the image accurately reflects their symptom experience. Then, at the clinic visit, the AYA shares the visual image with the HCP, and more importantly, their priority symptoms, which can facilitate the symptom discussion. The C-SCAT intervention group will complete the C-SCAT prior to each of three encounters with their health care providers (HCPs).
BEHAVIORAL	Usual Care Control	Usual care is defined as the usual approach to assessing symptoms during the HCP encounter. To provide attentional control to the usual care control group and prevent disproportionate attrition from that group, study staff will contact participants three times during the intervention period (approximately 3 months) when they are in for a scheduled clinic visit and communicate the following: 1) express appreciation for ongoing study participation; 2) ask how everything is going with their treatment; 3) ask if anything has changed with their treatment plan since the last study visit; and 4) confirm continued participation in the study.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-01-04
• Primary completion: 2027-08-31
• Completion: 2027-08-31
• First posted: 2023-07-24
• Last updated: 2026-04-13

Locations

5 sites across 1 country: United States