- Authors: Janine Coffin1,Georgina Sutherland2,Vicki White2,Giovanna Raco1, Trish Livingston2, Doreen Akkerman1
Presented at the CNSA Conference July 2006, Breast Care Nurse Conference, March 2006 and the International Psycho-Oncology Congress in Venice, October 2006.
Cancer Connect is a telephone-based peer support program where patients receive one-on-one support from a cancer survivor, matched according to cancer type, treatment, age and family circumstances.
In Victoria, patients who contact the Cancer Council Helpline are asked if they would like to be linked with a Cancer Connect volunteer.
This service allows cancer patients to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience.
As research and evaluation are fundamental to providing enhanced support services, the Cancer Council recently conducted a study to understand cancer patients experience and satisfaction with the Cancer Connect program.
The results are excellent.
This research was conducted to understand cancer patients' experience and satisfaction with the Cancer Connect program.
Fifty cancer patients who contacted the helpline and agreed to be involved in the Cancer Connect program were recruited into the study. Patients participated in two telephone questionnaires, one at baseline and one at three months after the initial call. Participants for this report were patients who reported contact with a Cancer Connect volunteer at baseline (n=36) and at follow-up (n=41).
At baseline, 94% of patients reported that it was easy or very easy to talk to a Cancer Connect volunteer and over 80% reported that they felt better after the telephone conversation.
Most people (78%) reported that the contact with the volunteer was very helpful. At three-month follow-up, 93% reported that contact with the volunteer affected their situation. Participants reported the program had a positive impact: they felt better informed, encouraged, confident and empowered.
Eighty-one per cent of patients agreed that their volunteer made them feel that they weren't alone. All participants commented they would recommend the service to others.
Results suggest that receiving information and support from someone who has had a similar diagnosis and treatment can positively affect cancer patients' experience.
Words used by patients to describe their situation, such as feeling ‘reassured' and ‘encouraged' show the potential positive impact of peer support during the cancer experience.
1 Cancer Information and Support Service, The Cancer Council Victoria
2 Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria
