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Bone Marrow TransplantNCT03654599

Effects of Digital Stories Intervention on Psychosocial Well-being

A study testing Baseline Surveys and Digital Stories Intervention in people with Bone Marrow Transplant and Information Disclosure, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Patients and caregivers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation often continue to experience anxiety, depression, isolation, and other psychosocial distress. A narrative-based digital stories intervention has shown promise in a pilot study with breast cancer patients in helping to alleviate emotional… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Baseline Surveys and Digital Stories Intervention
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
202 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Sep 2017to 23 Jul 2021
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Patient Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 18 or older
  • recently underwent Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) (within a month after hospital discharge)
  • must be able to speak, read, and write in English
  • access to a working phone and e-mail account

Patient Exclusion Criteria:

  • no primary caregiver
  • cognitive impairment that prohibits completion of study assessment
  • visual or hearing impairment
  • other (e.g., provider non-approval or logistical constraints such as patient moving out of town)

Caregiver Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 18 or older
  • family caregivers who are identified as a primary caregiver by a patient
  • have primary responsibility for the care of patients throughout the HCT process
  • Must be able to speak, read, and write in English
  • Access to a working phone and e-mail account

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Mayo Clinic

    Phoenix, Arizona, 85054

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Effects of Digital Stories Intervention on Psychosocial Well-being for Cancer Patients and Caregivers Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Patients and caregivers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation often continue to experience anxiety, depression, isolation, and other psychosocial distress. A narrative-based digital stories intervention has shown promise in a pilot study with breast cancer patients in helping to alleviate emotional distress. This study is designed to test digital stories to be viewed and discussed by other HCT patients/caregivers as a psychosocial intervention in a randomized controlled trial and to test the effects of digital stories on how 110 patient and caregiver dyads (N=220) undergoing one of the most rigorous and aggressive treatments cope with treatment-related distress through supportive open dyadic communication and emotional expression.

Read the detailed description

Patients and caregivers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) are at particular risk for reduced psychological and social well-being due to the rigorous and unique nature of the transplant experience, such as prolonged immunosuppression and multiple post HCT complications resulting in frequent hospitalizations. However, few studies have evaluated interventions to alleviate psychosocial distress for both patients and caregivers, and those have yielded inconclusive results. A narrative-based (storytelling) approach may be an effective intervention tool for HCT patients and caregivers coping with psychosocial distress. The preliminary data show that stories shared by individuals in which a range of emotional expression or resolutions are described, may have beneficial effects on emotional well-being. In a recent pilot study of a 3-day digital storytelling workshop, investigators produced a series of digital videos with narratives from a panel of post-HCT patients. The purpose of this study is to use these digital stories (DS), to be viewed and discussed by HCT patient/caregiver dyads, as a therapeutic intervention and to examine influences on both patients' and caregivers' psychosocial status. This cost-effective, non-invasive, and easy-to-deliver psychosocial support vehicle has never been formally tested as an intervention for HCT patients or patient-caregiver dyads.

To build upon investigators' preliminary studies and to pilot test the efficacy of this series of DS, 110 adult patients undergoing HCT at the Mayo Clinic Arizona and patient respective adult caregivers (N=220 total participants) will be randomized to either (a) an intervention using DS (dyadic exposure to four 5-minute modules) or (b) an information control (IC) video group (dyadic exposure to four videos containing only information about post-HCT care) followed by encouragement to discuss as a dyad. Exposure will occur once per week over 4 weeks via a secure web-based data collection platform (REDcap) with a weekly email notification and reminder phone call. Using investigator's model of Narrative Effects on Socio-Emotional Well-Being, we will also examine expected mediating factors to determine how stories may "work" to reduce psychosocial distress by fostering emotional processing, acceptance, and dyadic disclosure of emotions.

Being tested
Baseline Surveys, Digital Stories Intervention, Information Control Intervention
Keywords
Digital Storytelling, Narrative, Cancer patients, Psychosocial health, bone marrow transplant
Medical subject headings
Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Narration

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Baseline SurveysBehavioural

    Also called Baseline questionnaire

    Baseline surveys contained a series of scaled questions, including sociodemographic variables (age, sex, cancer type, and etc), profile of mood states, social well-being, emotional processing and acceptance.

  • Digital Stories InterventionBehavioural

    Also called Digital Storytelling, Narrative-based storytelling

    Digital Stories Intervention Videos contain the following content: caregiver burden, positive and cognitive coping, support from other family and friends, fear of losing the patient, spirituality, guilt of being sick, and expressing emotions/feelings

  • Information Control InterventionBehavioural

    Information Control Intervention Videos include Information about post-HCT. The topics in the IC include specific guidelines to return to wellness post HCT through (1) an exercise plan, (2) a nutrition (dietary) plan, (3) pain management, (4) information about the complications, (5) caregiver responsibilities, (6) social support, (7) preventing from infections, and (8) symptom management. Participants randomized to the IC will receive the full set of DS modules only after the final 3-month post-intervention data collection point has passed and they can view them as desired.

Study groups in NCT03654599
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Baseline and Digital Stories (DS) for patientsExperimentalIn-person baseline surveys using the web-based data collection platform, Research Electronic Data Capture before the random assignment to DS arm. Eight Digital Stories Intervention (4 patient and 4 caregiver stories about hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) over the course of 4 weeks (2 videos per week) with a weekly email notification and reminder phone call. Each story was made with voice, images, and sound (3-5 minutes each).
Receives: Behavioral: Baseline Surveys; Behavioral: Digital Stories Intervention
Baseline and Information Control (IC) for patientsActive comparatorIn-person baseline surveys using the web-based data collection platform, Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) before the random assignment to IC arm. Eight Information Control Intervention videos containing only information about post-HCT care (as opposed to story/narrative) over the course of 4 weeks (2 videos per week) with a weekly email notification and reminder phone call.
Receives: Behavioral: Baseline Surveys; Behavioral: Information Control Intervention
Baseline and Digital Stories (DS) for caregiversExperimentalIn-person baseline surveys using the web-based data collection platform, Research Electronic Data Capture before the random assignment to DS arm. Eight Digital Stories Intervention (4 patient and 4 caregiver stories about hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) over the course of 4 weeks (2 videos per week) with a weekly email notification and reminder phone call. Each story was made with voice, images, and sound (3-5 minutes each).
Receives: Behavioral: Baseline Surveys; Behavioral: Digital Stories Intervention
Baseline and Information Control (IC) for caregiversActive comparatorIn-person baseline surveys using the web-based data collection platform, Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) before the random assignment to IC arm. Eight Information Control Intervention videos containing only information about post-HCT care (as opposed to story/narrative) over the course of 4 weeks (2 videos per week) with a weekly email notification and reminder phone call.
Receives: Behavioral: Baseline Surveys; Behavioral: Information Control Intervention

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Changes From Baseline Profile of Mood States (POMS) Short Version (Emotional Well-being or /Reduction of Emotional Distress) at 4 Weeks

    Emotional Well-Being (Reduction of Emotional Distress) will be measured using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) short version (15 items, 5-point Likert scale; 0=not at all, 4=extremely). The POMS is one of the most frequently used and validated scales in studies of psychosocial interventions for cancer patients. The POMS Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) score has been shown to be most sensitive to interventions designed to facilitate emotional expression.The POMS consists of the TMD dimensions (tension-anxiety; depression-dejection; anger-hostility; and confusion-bewilderment) (Cronbach's a = .93) to be used in the current study as the primary outcome measure; and two others (fatigue-inertia; vigor-activity) will be documented. Total of Mood Disturbance= (anxious+depression+anger+fatigue)- vigor (Range from 12 to 48). The higher values represent a worse emotional well-being.

    Measured: Baseline (T1), T2 (after 4-week intervention)

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Changes From Baseline Emotional Well-being (Using the Emotional Acceptance Scale) at 4 Weeks

    The 13-item Emotional Acceptance (EA) Scale assesses the extent to which subjects are accepting toward their feelings, with statements such as "I naturally and easily attend to my feelings." Respondents estimate the percentage of time each statement is true, in increments of 10 (0 = never/not at all to 100 = always/perfectly; total score = mean item rating). In Dr. Weihs' sample of 91 breast cancer patients, internal consistency was strong (= .92), as was 15-month test re-test reliability (r = .58).

    Measured: Baseline (T1), T2 (after 4-week intervention)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted31 Aug 2018
  2. Study start1 Sep 2017
  3. Primary completion5 Jan 2021
  4. Study completion23 Jul 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
202 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03654599
Sponsor's protocol ID
GR11968
Other IDs
R15CA213035
Status last verified
Oct 2024
First submitted
27 Aug 2018
Last updated
9 Oct 2024
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Baseline Surveys and Digital Stories Intervention in people with Bone Marrow Transplant and Information Disclosure, run by Arizona State University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Oct 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 9 Oct 2024). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Changes From Baseline Profile of Mood States (POMS) Short Version (Emotional Well-being or /Reduction of Emotional Distress) at 4 Weeks (time frame: Baseline (T1), T2 (after 4-week intervention)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 Oct 2024; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.

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