The Particulars: Few interventions have successfully addressed the common psychosocial distresses faced by patients with cancer. The Pillars4Life online educational program, which teaches coping skills in a group format, may improve personal psychosocial outcomes for those afflicted with cancer.
Data Breakdown: Cancer patients and caregivers participated in 10 weekly sessions as part of the Pillars4Life program. They completed electronic surveys at baseline and 3 months, reporting on their distress, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, quality of life (QOL) and despair, fatigue, and cancer-related well-being. Average scores significantly improved from baseline to month 3 for all patient-reported outcomes. Patients who reported distress at baseline experienced clinically significant improvements in distress, QOL, despair, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and cancer-related well-being.
Take Home Pearl: Patients with cancer who participate in the Pillars4Life online group intervention appear to experience statistically and clinically significant improvements in key psychosocial and QOL, patient-reported outcome measures.
