Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Testing Messages to Encourage Discussion of Clinical Trials Among Cancer Survivors and Their Physicians: Examining Monitoring Style and Message Detail

  • Published:
Journal of Cancer Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Encouraging cancer survivors to discuss clinical trials with their physicians may increase enrollment in clinical trials. Health messages offer one method for encouraging such discussions. We hypothesized that matching messages to an individual’s preference for detailed or non-detailed information (i.e., monitoring style) would result in more discussions. Participants (N = 538) were cancer survivors, who phoned the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS). Participants were classified as higher or lower monitors and then randomized to receive detailed or non-detailed messages in the mail 1 and 4 weeks following their baseline CIS call. At 12 weeks, there was a significant interaction between monitoring style and message detail. Follow-up analyses were nonsignificant but suggested a theoretically consistent pattern in which non-detailed messages were more effective among lower monitors. These findings imply that providing extremely detailed information may be excessive, even to individuals engaged in information seeking behavior.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Cancer Society (2011) Cancer Facts & Figures 2011. American Cancer Society, Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  2. National Cancer Institute (2009) Estimated US cancer prevalence counts: definitions. National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda

    Google Scholar 

  3. National Cancer Institute (2002) Cancer clinical trials: the basic workbook. National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learningabout/basicworkbook

  4. Grunfeld E, Zitzelsberger L, Coristine M, Aspelund F (2002) Barriers and facilitators to enrollment in cancer clinical trials. Cancer 95(7):1577–1583

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ellis PM (2000) Attitudes towards and participation in randomised clinical trials in oncology: a review of the literature. Ann Oncol 11(8):939–945

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Lara PN, Higdon R, Lim N, Kwan K, Tanaka M, Lau DHM, Lam KS (2001) Prospective evaluation of cancer clinical trial accrual patterns: identifying potential barriers to enrollment. J Clin Oncol 19(6):1728–1733

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Little P, Dorward M, Warner G, Moore M, Stephens K, Senior J, Kendrick T (2004) Randomised controlled trial of effect of leaflets to empower patients in consultations in primary care. BMJ 328(7437):441

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Sorensen JB, Rossel P, Holm S (2004) Patient–physician communication concerning participation in cancer chemotherapy trials. Br J Cancer 90(2):328–332

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hutchinson SL, Loy DP, Kleiber DA, Dattilo J (2003) Leisure as a coping resource: variations in coping with traumatic injury and illness. Leis Sci 25(2–3):143–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Materese SA, Latimer AE, Katulak NA, Harris J, Mowad LZ, and Salovey P (2007) From education to enrollment: how decision aids promoting self-efficacy can lead to interest in clinical trials. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC

  11. Ford S, Fallowfield L, Lewis S (1994) Can oncologists detect distress in their out-patients and how satisfied are they with their performance during bad news consultations? Br J Cancer 70(4)

  12. Meredith C, Symonds P, Webster L, Lamont D, Pyper E, Gillis CR, Fallowfield L (1996) Information needs of cancer patients in west Scotland: cross sectional survey of patients’ views. BMJ 313

  13. Mayer DK, Terrin NC, Kreps GL, Menon U, McCance K, Parsons SK, Mooney KH (2007) Cancer survivors information seeking behaviors: a comparison of survivors who do and do not seek information about cancer. Patient Educ Couns 65(3):342–350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sepucha KR, Belkora JK, Mutchnick S, Esserman LJ (2002) Consultation planning to help breast cancer patients prepare for medical consultations: effect on communication and satisfaction for patients and physicians. J Clin Oncol 20(11):2695–2700

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, Saul J (2001) Information needs of patients with cancer: results from a large study in UK cancer centres. Br J Cancer 84(1):4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Miller SM (1980) When is a little information a dangerous thing?: coping with stressful life-events by monitoring versus blunting. In: Levine S, Ursing H (eds) Coping and health. Plenum, New York, pp 145–169

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Miller SM (1981) Predictability and human stress: towards a clarification of evidence and theory. In: Berkowitz L (ed) Advances in experimental social psychology: volume 14. Academic, New York, pp 203–256

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Miller SM, Mangan CE (1983) Interacting effects of information and coping style in adapting to gynecologic stress: should the doctor tell all? J Personal Soc Psychol 45(1):14

    Google Scholar 

  19. Miller SM (1995) Monitoring versus blunting styles of coping with cancer influence the information patients want and need about their disease. Implications for cancer screening and management. Cancer 76(2):167–177

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Timmermans LM, van Zuuren FJ, van der Maazen RWM, Leer JWH, Kraaimaat FW (2007) Monitoring and blunting in palliative and curative radiotherapy consultations. Psycho-Oncol 16(12):1111–1120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Miller SM (1987) Monitoring and blunting: validation of a questionnaire to assess styles of information seeking under threat. J Pers Soc Psychol 52(2):9

    Google Scholar 

  22. Koo M, Krass I, Aslani P (2006) Enhancing patient education about medicines: factors influencing reading and seeking of written medicine information. Health Expect 9(2):174–187

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Miller SM, Brody DS, Summerton J (1988) Styles of coping with threat: implications for health. J Pers Soc Psychol 54(1):7

    Google Scholar 

  24. Miller SM, Buzaglo J, Simms S, Green V, Bales C, Mangan C, Sedlacek T (1999) Monitoring styles in women at risk for cervical cancer: implications for the framing of health-relevant messages. Ann Behav Med 21(1):27–34

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Squiers L, Treiman K (2005) The cancer information service research agenda. National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service. Available from: http://cis.nci.nih.gov/research/agenda_book.pdf. Accessed 14 October 2009

  26. Latimer AE, Williams-Piehota P, Katulak NA, Cox A, Mowad L, Higgins ET, Salovey P (2008) Promoting fruit and vegetable intake through messages tailored to individual differences in regulatory focus. Ann Behav Med 35(3):363–369

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Noar SM, Benac CN, Harris MS (2007) Does tailoring matter? Meta-analytic review of tailored print health behavior change interventions. Psychol Bull 133(4):21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Parrott MW, Tennant LK, Olejnik S, Poudevigne MS (2008) Theory of planned behavior: implications for an email-based physical activity intervention. Psychol Sport Exerc 9(4):511–526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Williams-Piehota P, Pizarro J, Schneider TR, Mowad L, Salovey P (2005) Matching health messages to monitor–blunter coping styles to motivate screening mammography. Health Psychol 24(1):58–67

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Miller SM, Rodoletz M, Schroeder C, Mangan CE, Sedlacek TV (1996) Applications of the monitoring process model to coping with severe long-term medical threats. Health Psychol 15(3):10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Miller SM, Roussi P, Altman D, Helm W, Steinberg A (1994) Effects of coping style on psychological reactions of low-income, minority women to colposcopy. J Reprod Med 39(9):711–718

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Muris P, van Zuuren FJ, de Vries S (1994) Monitoring, blunting and situational anxiety: a laboratory study on coping with a quasi-medical stressor. Pers Individ Differ 16(3):365–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. National Cancer Institute (2010) Health disparities defined. National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. Accessed 24 January 2011

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health, Emotion, and Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Yale University, P.O. Box 208205, 06520-8205, New Haven, CT, USA

    Lindsay R. Duncan, Elizabeth Pomery, Susan E. Rivers, Michelle C. Berotoli & Peter Salovey

  2. School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queens University, 28 Division St, Kingston, ON, Canada, K7L 3 N6

    Amy E. Latimer

  3. SE Center for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health, University of Florida College of Dentistry, P. O. Box 103628, 32610-3628, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Elizabeth Pomery

Authors
  1. Lindsay R. Duncan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Amy E. Latimer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Elizabeth Pomery
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Susan E. Rivers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Michelle C. Berotoli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Peter Salovey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lindsay R. Duncan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Duncan, L.R., Latimer, A.E., Pomery, E. et al. Testing Messages to Encourage Discussion of Clinical Trials Among Cancer Survivors and Their Physicians: Examining Monitoring Style and Message Detail. J Canc Educ 28, 119–126 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-012-0431-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-012-0431-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation