Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2025
E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Developing and implementing a nurse-delivered and a web-based dyadic psychoeducational program for people with
Aline De Vleminck1,2, Vincent Van Goethem3,4,5, Sigrid Dierickx3,4,5
1End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & Ghent University, Laarbeeklaan 103, Brussels 1090, Belgium.
Background:
Each year millions are diagnosed with cancer, impacting both patients and caregivers. Few interventions target both patients and family caregivers together, despite their shared experiences. While dyadic psychoeducational programs are gaining attention, evidence on developing and implementing these in international trials is limited. The DIAdIC trial faced unique challenges requiring innovative solutions to maintain study integrity.
Objectives:
To present our experiences with the development and implementation of two dyadic psychoeducational home-based programs, FOCUS+ and iFOCUS in the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in six European countries.
Design:
A case report detailing our experiences in the development and implementation of two dyadic psychoeducational home-based programs (one face-to-face and one web-based) across multiple countries, highlighting the challenges and mitigating strategies in an international context.
Methods:
A chronological narrative describing experiences with the development and implementation of iFOCUS and FOCUS+.
Results:
The FOCUS+ and iFOCUS programs were successfully developed for the European context through rigorous translation and adaptation processes. Despite recruitment challenges including COVID-19 restrictions and administrative hurdles, 431 patient-caregiver dyads were enrolled across 6 European countries. Quantitative and qualitative data assessed the outcomes of FOCUS+ and iFOCUS interventions, including the primary endpoints of emotional functioning and self-efficacy. Fidelity was evaluated using audio recordings, checklists, and user data. Challenges in trial management were addressed with flexible timelines and technical support.
Conclusion:
The international DIAdIC trial developed and implemented two psychoeducational dyadic programs for patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers. Based on our experiences we share several insights for future similar studies. These relate to the attention needed for context-specific adaptations when using existing interventions or programs, the translation of human-facilitated programs to standalone eHealth versions, the challenges of adopting a dyadic focus in the study, the pragmatic challenges of conducting an RCT and evaluating implementation and effects, and the technology used for study management.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching II: Planning and Implementation
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data...
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
01:20Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching III: Evaluation and Documentation
Nurses can use several methods to evaluate patient outcomes. For example, oral questions can assess cognitive learning,...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...