What’s the study about?
This study will investigate whether a professionally led breast cancer support group that uses video calling, and which women can take part in from their home, is feasible, useful, and satisfactory for breast cancer survivors in rural California.
What’s involved?
If you sign up for the study “At-Home Support for Rural Women Using Group Video Calling,” you will receive a link to information about providing informed consent and an online screening questionnaire. If you appear to meet the study criteria, you will receive a follow-up phone call from the research team to further determine your eligibility. If you are eligible, the research team will e-mail the consent form to you for review and call you to confirm eligibility and discuss your comprehension of the study consent form.
If you are eligible and choose to join the study, you will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to either:
• Take part in an at-home, weekly online support group that uses video calling for 8 weeks and receive a workbook journal
OR
• Receive the workbook journal alone.
All eligible participants will be asked to:
• Complete a consent form.
• Complete online questionnaires related to demographics, distress, medical symptoms and treatment, and coping and social support. These questionnaires can be accessed through a secure link that will be sent to your email address and will be completed at the beginning and end of the study.
• Participate in an individual phone interview to report on your experiences. The interview will take approximately 30 minutes and will be conducted three months after you join the study.
Who is conducting the study?
This study is a collaboration between Sierra Streams Institute and Stanford University. Cheryl Koopman, PhD, at Stanford University, Stanford, CA, and Mary Anne Kreshka, MA, and Joanne Hild, MS, at Sierra Streams Institute, Nevada City, CA
Where?
Women who live in one of the following rural counties in California will be able to participate: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Imperial, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba. NOTE: Women living in Chico, Madera, Redding, Rocklin, Roseville, and Yuba City are NOT eligible, due to the study’s more rural focus.
Who can participate?
You can sign up for the study “At-Home Support for Rural Women Using Group Video Calling” if you meet ALL of these MAIN criteria:
• You live in one of these rural counties in California: Alpine, Amador, Butte (not including Chico), Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Imperial, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Madera (not including the city of Madera), Mariposa, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer (not including Rocklin or Roseville), Plumas, Shasta (not including Redding), Sierra, Suskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, or Yuba (not including Yuba City).
• You have been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (stages I, II, III, or IV) within the past 5 years
• You are a woman 21 years of age or older
• You have sufficient hearing to be able to engage in conversation
• You speak and read English
• You have a private place available where you can access the Internet
After you RSVP, you will receive a link to information about providing informed consent and an online screening questionnaire.
