Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-24-2025

Identifier

DOI: 10.2196/76667; PMCID: PMC12732584

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer experience multiple distressing symptoms during treatment, yet few developmentally relevant resources have been developed to help them self-manage their symptoms. Empowering patients to have a more active role in self-management during cancer treatment may lessen their symptom severity and distress.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to test an intervention designed to improve symptom self-management, the Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT), by helping AYAs understand their unique symptom experience and discuss it with their health care providers.

METHODS: We are conducting a multisite, 2-group randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of the C-SCAT in improving symptom self-management versus usual care in 126 AYAs who are within the first 3 months of a cancer diagnosis and who are receiving chemotherapy. Participants are randomly assigned to either the C-SCAT intervention group or the usual care group. The primary aim is to determine the effects of the C-SCAT versus usual care on the primary outcomes of self-efficacy for symptom management and symptom self-management behaviors. The secondary aim is to examine the effects of the C-SCAT versus usual care on distal outcomes, including symptoms and quality of life. Participants complete measures of self-efficacy for symptom management, symptom self-management behaviors, symptom severity and distress, quality of life social function, and quality of life satisfaction of social function at baseline (time 0), immediately postintervention (time 1), and at follow-up 1 month later (time 2).

RESULTS: Recruitment started on January 4, 2024, at the first site, and all sites were open by May 1, 2024. Thus far, accrual has been set at 73% of the quarterly benchmark goal. Linear mixed effects models will be used to test for group differences across time for the primary and secondary aims.

CONCLUSIONS: This randomized controlled trial is evaluating an innovative, point-of-care intervention designed to be used at a clinic visit with the provider to improve symptom self-management for AYAs with cancer.

Journal Title

JMIR Res Protoc

Volume

14

First Page

76667

Last Page

76667

MeSH Keywords

Humans; Adolescent; Self-Management; Neoplasms; Young Adult; Female; Male; Heuristics; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Quality of Life; Self Efficacy; Adult; Self Care

PubMed ID

41442319

Keywords

adolescents and young adults; cancer; digital health; mobile phone; randomized clinical trial; symptom management

Comments

Grants and funding

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Research Protocols, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.researchprotocols.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

Publisher's Link: https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e76667

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