Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy-eSMART-MH

November 11, 2016 updated by: Mylin Torres, MD, Emory University

Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy-Electronic Self-Management Resource Training for Mental Health (eSMART-MH)

The purpose of this study is to determine if an avatar-based depression self-management intervention (eSMART-MH) once a week for the duration of the participant's radiation treatment will significantly reduce depressive symptoms. Investigators also seek to explore how women with breast cancer describe their mood using prompted and unprompted speech through electronic social media and interviews.

Participants will be randomized into the eSMART-MH group or the theater testing (attention control) group. In addition to the assigned interventions, participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and interviews with the study staff.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine if an avatar-based depression self-management intervention (eSMART-MH) once a week for the duration of the participant's radiation treatment will significantly reduce depressive symptoms. Investigators also seek to explore how women with breast cancer describe their mood using prompted and unprompted speech through electronic social media and interviews.

Participants will be randomized into the eSMART-MH group or the theater testing (attention control) group. In addition to the assigned interventions, participants will be asked to complete questionnaires and interviews with the study staff.

Participants will be enrolled within two weeks of radiotherapy. A preliminary depression survey (IDS-SR) will be given to assess depression. There will be a total of three routine study assessments, one within two weeks prior to the beginning of radiotherapy, one the last week of radiotherapy and one 5 - 7 weeks after radiotherapy is completed.

Study Type

Interventional

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory University Hospital
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory Clinic
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Winship Cancer Institute
      • Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30322
        • Emory University Hospital Midtown

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients seen in the Emory Breast Center at The Emory Clinic and Emory Midtown Hospital who are treated with curative intent.
  • Score of 8 or higher on the Inventory of Depressive Symptomology - Self Reported (IDS-SR) test

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: eSMART-MH
Participants undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer will receive the Electronic Self-Management Resource Training for Mental Health (eSMART-MH) intervention.
eSMART-MH (Electronic Self-Management Resource Training for Mental Health) is a software, which is set in a 3-D virtual primary care office environment in which a subject interacts with avatar virtual healthcare staff (medical receptionist, medical assistant, providers, and a virtual healthcare coach). The avatars are programmed to behave like humans. The subject moves through the 3-D virtual primary care office and encounters virtual healthcare staff and providers. The subject practices discussing depressive symptoms with avatar healthcare providers and practices self-management skills related to symptoms of depression.The subject also interacts with the health care coach. The health care coach provides the subject with real-time strategies to enhance communication with healthcare providers during their virtual office visit. eSMART-MH will be used once a week throughout the duration of radiation treatment.
Public social media data posted by participants will be accessed and downloaded to a computer program. Permission for the study team to access this data is optional.
Other: Theater Testing
Participants undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer will participate in a theater testing workshop.
The theater testing workshop consists of one to two one-on-one sessions with study staff during which participants will review a computer program for its content and usability, as well as discuss areas for improvement. Participants will also be asked to complete questionnaires and a attend a brief interview regarding any suggested improvements for the computer program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in an Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Reported (IDS-SR) score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The IDS-SR is a self-reported measure in which participants rate the frequency of depression symptoms within the past seven days. Scores range from 0 to 84, with higher score reflecting greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The PSQI is a self-rated questionnaire which assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval. Scores range from 0 to 21. A score of less than or equal to 5 is associated with good sleep quality. A score greater than 5 is associated with poor sleep quality.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The PSS is a self-reported instrument used to measure the perception of stress. Scores range from 0 to 40. Score of 20 or higher are considered high stress.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The SF-36 is a self-reported survey of health status. Scores range from 0 to 100. Lower scores indicate disability. The higher the score, the less disability.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The GLTEQ is a self-reported questionnaire used to measure usual leisure-time exercise habits during a typical seven day period. A score of 24 or more indicates active and substantial exercise benefits. A score of 23 units or less indicates insufficiently active and less substantial exercise benefits.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Fatigue Short Form Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The PROMIS Fatigue questionnaire is a self-report tool used to evaluate frequency, duration, and intensity of fatigue over the past seven days. Scores range from 7 to 35. The higher the score, the more fatigue.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Lent Soma Scale Patient Questionnaire Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The Lent Soma questionnaire is a self-reported measure of pain. Scores range from 0 to 9. The higher the score, the more pain reported.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) is a 20-item self-report instrument designed to measure fatigue. Scores range from 20 to 100.The higher the score, the more fatigued.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Health-Related Quality of Life-4 (QOL) Questionnaire Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Quality of Life will be measured by the Center for Disease Control Health Related Quality of Life-4 (CDC HRQOL). This self-report measures quality of life over the last 30 days in the domains of physical and mental health.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The FACT-G is a self-reported measure of well being in the past seven days. Scores range from 0 to 27. A higher score indicates worse perception of well being.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale-Short Form (BADS-SF) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The BADS-SF is a 9-item self-report measures that assess behavioral activation which captures the domains of activation, avoidance/rumination, work/school impairment, and social impairment. The BADS-SF asks participants to respond to each statement over the past week, including the day in which they complete the measure, on a 0 to 6 likert type scale.The BADS-SF has shown to be significantly associated with depression.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease questionnaire is a six item self-report scale. This measure asks how confident, on a scale of 1-10, the respondent is in doing certain activities pertaining to self-management. Scores range from 6 to 60. A higher score indicates more confidence.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Pediatric CARE measure 10 questions (PCM 10Q) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The PCM 10Q is used to gain the views of children or patients receiving health services. It is a patient-centered measure of relational empathy. It measures patients' experiences of the interpersonal aspects of clinical encounters.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Virtual Support Measure Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The virtual support questionnaire is a measure of perceived virtual support of the avatars. Participants rate the "virtual support" provided by the avatar healthcare provider and avatar coach separately. The first 12 questions of the Virtual Support Questionnaire ask participants to rate, on a Likert-type format, the avatars on a variety of relational characteristics. Selection options range from (1) "No, not at all" to (5) "Yes, definitely." The last 10 items of the Virtual Support Questionnaire ask respondents to rate, using a Likert-type format, to what degree they agree or disagree with statements about how the avatars understood their experiences. Selection options ranged from (1) "Strongly agree" to (6) "Strongly disagree."
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a 20-item scale designed to measure one's subjective feelings of loneliness as well as feelings of social isolation. Participants rate each item as either O ("I often feel this way"),S ("I sometimes feel this way"), R ("I rarely feel this way"), N ("I never feel this way"). A higher score indicates more feelings of loneliness.This scale has a strong association with depression.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The PAM-13 is a 13-item measure that assesses the patient's perception of their knowledge, skill, and confidence in self-management behavior. Scores range from 0-100, with a higher score indicating greater patient activation.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Quality of Patient-Provider Interaction Questionnaire (QPPI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The QPPI is a 14-item self-report likert type style questionnaire that assesses from the patient's perspective the quality of the interaction between the patient provider.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Patient Self-Competence Subscale (PSCS) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
A 16-item five point Likert scale that asks participants to rate items from 5 (important) to 1 (unimportant); a higher score indicates greater perceived self-competence and effective communication with a health care provider.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in FAS Verbal Fluency Test Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The FAS Verbal Fluency Test task asks respondents to generate words beginning with the letters "F," "A," and "S" within 60 seconds. Adults with depression generate fewer words on the FAS than non-depressed.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in The State Hope Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The State Hope Scale is a a 6-item self-report scale which measures goal-directed thinking and the "here and now." Respondents are asked to respond to items in relation to what is "going on in your life right now" in response to goal-directed statements on a 1-8 scale.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The ERQ is a 20-item scale that asks respondents how they manage and regulate their emotions in response to life events on a 1-7 likert-type scale.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Body Awareness Questionnaire Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The Body Awareness Questionnaire is a an 18-item measure that asks respondents to rate their sensitivity to normal and non-emotional body processes on a 1-7 likert-type scale.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
Change in Experiences Questionnaire (EQ) Score
Time Frame: Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
The EQ is a 20 item self-report scale designed to measure decentering and deep thinking.
Baseline, Post Treatment (5-7 weeks)
3 Item Functional Health Literacy Quick Screen
Time Frame: Baseline
The 3 Item Functional Health Literacy Quick Screen is used to detect limited and marginal health literacy skills.
Baseline
Tobacco Use Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline
The Tobacco Use Questionnaire is two question self-report about the use of traditional cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, or both and the amount of cigarettes smoked.
Baseline
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
Time Frame: Baseline
The AUDIT simple brief assessment tool to screen for excessive drinking. The measure consists of 10 questions about recent alcohol use, alcohol dependence symptoms, and alcohol-related problems.
Baseline
Adverse Childhood Event (ACE) Questionnaire
Time Frame: Post last intervention (4 week follow up)
An ACE score is a tally of different types of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. There are 10 items on the measure; we will ask 9 of these questions, omitting the question about sexual abuse. The ACE Study emphasizes the number rather than categories of ACE that one has been subjected to. The number of the nine items of ACE that one has undergone (0-9) is regarded as the ACE score.
Post last intervention (4 week follow up)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

September 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

December 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 29, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 29, 2016

First Posted (Estimate)

May 3, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

November 15, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 11, 2016

Last Verified

November 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB00028295

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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