In Europe, millions of people are newly diagnosed with cancer each year. In addition to physical symptoms people with cancer often also experience psychological, social, and spiritual consequences of their illness. Family caregivers are also impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Family caregivers are people who have a personal connection to the patient; they may be a friend, partner, ex-partner, sibling, parent, child or other. Often they have a double role: as provider of healthcare to the person with cancer, but also as a person in need of support for themselves. Much like the person with cancer family caregivers can experience psychological, social and physical consequences as a result of their caregiving role.
In summary cancer impacts the quality of life both the person with the cancer and their family caregiver(s).Research indicates that both are better helped if support is offered to both the person with cancer and their primary (or main) family caregiver together (sometimes referred to as a dyad). Research also shows that we need new ways to improve support for people with cancer along with their family caregiver. That is why we are conducting a new project called the DIAdIC study. DIAdIC is a research project involving six European countries; Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The project will test and evaluate two types of support strategies to persons with cancer and their family caregivers:
A first intervention is called FOCUS+ and is a nurse-led person-to-person approach. A specially trained nurse will have three extensive consultations over a course of 3 months with the patient-caregiver dyad. This intervention will usually take place in the home of the person with cancer and/or the family caregiver.
The second strategy is called iFOCUS. In this approach the person with cancer and the family caregiver access four online (web based) sessions together via a computer program over a period of 3 months.
The two FOCUS strategies have a different mode of delivery, but address the same five core components:
Supporting family involvement and improving mutual communication
Supporting outlook and meaning
Increasing coping effectiveness
Reducing uncertainty
Teaching symptom management and giving confidence to handle specific tasks and problems
The project’s scientific objectives are:
1. 1.a) to evaluate whether the FOCUS+ and iFOCUS strategies increase the quality of life and self-efficacy of both the person with cancer and their family caregivers.
1.b) To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of both approaches and its impact on the use of professional health care resources.
1.c) To evaluate whether the strategies have different effects on different vulnerable groups and in different healthcare systems
2. To evaluate the implementation process of both interventions.
