Tamara Somers

CONTEXT: Some patients with cancer are able to complete psychosocial pain management intervention sessions, and others find it difficult to do so. OBJECTIVES: Conduct a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (N = 178) that compared delivery formats (in-person vs. videoconference) of a pain coping skills training (PCST) intervention for patients with cancer to examine if intervention session completion predicts postintervention outcomes of pain severity and interference, psychological distress, physical well-being, and pain self-efficacy; and identify predictors (i.e., demographics, medical characteristics, baseline outcome scores) of session completion. METHODS: Session completion (i.e., completing all four sessions vs. missing at least one session) was tested as a predictor of postintervention outcomes. Predictors of session completion were then examined. RESULTS: In both study conditions combined, PCST session completion predicted improvement from baseline to postintervention in pain severity (β = -0.27; P = 0.03), pain interference (β = -0.25; P = 0.048), and pain self-efficacy (β = 0.23; P = 0.07). Participants in the videoconference condition were significantly more likely than those in the in-person condition to complete all sessions (83% vs. 65%; P = 0.006). Participants with at least some college education (odds ratio [OR] 4.36; P = 0.04), a diagnosis of breast cancer (OR 6.73; P = 0.04), and higher levels of pain self-efficacy (OR 2.32; P = 0.02) were more likely to complete videoconference sessions. Participants who lived closer to the medical center (OR 0.64; P = 0.07), had early stage cancer (OR 3.82; P = 0.07), and fewer medical comorbidities (OR 0.59; P = 0.04) were more likely to complete in-person sessions. CONCLUSION: Completing PCST sessions is important for improving pain outcomes. Efforts to increase session completion (e.g., videoconference delivery) should be considered.

This Longitudinal patient navigation Matrix Model was developed to overcome barriers across the cancer care continuum by offering prepatients, patients, and their families with support services. The extraordinary heterogeneity of patient needs during cancer screening, risk assessment, treatment, and survivorship as well as the vast heterogeneity of oncology care settings make it nearly impossible to follow a static navigation model. Our model of patient cancer navigation is unique as it enhances the traditional model by being highly adaptable based on both patient and family needs and scalable based on institutional needs and resources (eg, clinical volumes, financial resources, and community-based resources). This relatively new operational model for system-wide and systematic navigation incorporates a carefully cultivated supportive care program that evolved over the last decade from a bottom up approach that identified patient and family needs and developed appropriate resources. A core component of this model includes shifting away from department-centric operations. This model does not require a patient to opt in or independently be able to report their needs or ask for services-it is an opt out model. The multidisciplinary "cross-training" model can also facilitate reimbursement and sustainability by clarifying the differentiating actions that define navigation services: identification of barriers to quality care and specific actions taken to overcome those barriers, across the full continue of cancer care from community engagement to survivorship or end-of-life care.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to obtain patient evaluations of the content, structure, and delivery modality of Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills Training (MCPC), a novel psychosocial intervention for patients with advanced cancer and pain. MCPC aims to help patients connect with valued sources of meaning in their lives (e.g., family relationships), while providing training in evidence-based cognitive and behavioral skills (e.g., guided imagery) to reduce pain. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 patients with stage IV solid tumor cancers and persistent pain. Transcripts were analyzed using methods from applied thematic analysis. RESULTS: When evaluating MCPC's educational information and skills training descriptions, participants described ways in which this content resonated with their experience. Many coped with their pain and poor prognosis by relying on frameworks that provided them with a sense of meaning, often involving their personally held religious or spiritual beliefs. They also expressed a need for learning ways to cope with pain in addition to taking medication. A few participants offered helpful suggestions for refining MCPC's content, such as addressing common co-occurring symptoms of sleep disturbance and fatigue. Concerning MCPC's structure and delivery modality, most participants preferred that sessions include their family caregiver and described remote delivery (i.e., telephone or videoconference) as being more feasible than attending in-person sessions. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Participants were interested in an intervention that concurrently focuses on learning pain coping skills and enhancing a sense of meaning. Using remote delivery modalities may reduce access barriers (e.g., travel) that would otherwise prevent many patients from utilizing psychosocial services.