Development and Testing of a Mobile App to Collect Social Determinants of Health Data in Cancer Settings: Interview Study

BACKGROUND

Social determinants of health (SDOH) such as lack of basic resources, housing, transportation, and social isolation play an important role for patients on the cancer care continuum. Health systems' current technological solutions for identifying and managing patients' SDOH data largely focus on information recorded in the electronic health record by providers, which is often inaccessible to patients to contribute to or modify.

OBJECTIVE

We developed and tested a patient-centric SDOH screening tool designed for use on patients' personal mobile phone that preserves patient privacy and confidentiality, collects information about the unmet social needs of patients with cancer, and communicates them to the provider.

METHODS

We interviewed 22 patients with cancer, oncologists, and social workers associated with a US-based comprehensive cancer center to better understand how patients' SDOH information is collected and reported. After triangulating data obtained from thematic analysis of interviews, an environmental scan, and a literature search of validated tools to collect SDOH data, we developed an SDOH screening tool mobile app and conducted a pilot study of 16 dyadic pairs of patients and cancer care team members at the same cancer center. We collected patient SDOH data using 36 survey items covering 7 SDOH domains and used validated scales and follow-up interviews to assess the app's usability and acceptability among patients and cancer care team members.

RESULTS

Formative interviews with patients and care team members revealed that transportation, financial challenges, food insecurity, and low health literacy were common SDOH challenges and that a mobile app that collected those data, shared those data with care team members, and offered supportive resources could be useful and valuable. In the pilot study, 25% (4/16) of app-using patients reported having at least one of the abovementioned social needs; the most common social need was social isolation (7/16, 44%). Patients rated the mobile app as easy to use, accurately capturing their SDOH, and preserving their privacy but suggested that the app could be more helpful by connecting patients to actual resources. Providers reported high acceptability and usability of the app.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a brief, patient-centric, mobile app-based SDOH screening tool can effectively capture SDOH of patients with cancer for care team members in a way that preserves patient privacy and that is acceptable and usable for patients and care team members. However, only collecting SDOH information is not sufficient; usefulness can be increased by connecting patients directly to resources to address their unmet social needs.

Tobacco Use and Tobacco Dependence Management

Tobacco use is a major public health problem and the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States and worldwide. Tobacco dependence determines tobacco use and is largely due to nicotine addiction. Such dependence is a disease resulting in a strong desire or compulsion to take tobacco, with difficulty in cessation of tobacco, along with persistent use despite overtly harmful consequences.

Prevalence of Mental Health and Social Connection among Patients Seeking Tobacco Dependence Management: A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION

with regards to tobacco dependence management, there are certain barriers to successful smoking cessation for patients, such as untreated anxiety and depression. Complicating the impact of mental health morbidities on tobacco dependence may be the significant portion of patients whose mental health issues and limited social connections are undiagnosed and unaddressed. We hypothesize that patients with no prior mental health diagnoses who are treated for tobacco dependence have high rates of undiagnosed mental health morbidities.

METHODS

patients were recruited from a tobacco treatment clinic in 2021. Every patient who came for an inaugural visit without a prior diagnosis of mental health disease was screened for depression, anxiety, social isolation and loneliness. Sociodemographic variables were collected.

RESULTS

over a 12-month period, 114 patients were seen at the tobacco treatment clinic. Of these 114 patients, 77 (67.5%) did not have a prior diagnosis of a mental health disease. The mean age was 54.3 ± 11.2 years, 52 (67.5%) were females, and 64 (83.1%) were Black/African American. The mean age of starting smoking was 19.3 ± 5.2 years, and 43 (55.8%) had never attempted to quit smoking in the past. With regards to mental health screening, 32 (41.6%) patients had a score of 9 or greater on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 9, 59 (76.6%) had a score of 7 or greater on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) 7, 67 (87.0%) were identified with social isolation and 70 (90.1%) for loneliness on screening.

CONCLUSION

there was a high prevalence of undiagnosed mental health morbidities and social disconnection in patients who were actively smoking and were struggling to achieve smoking cessation. While a larger scale study is necessary to reaffirm these results, screening for mental health morbidities and social disconnection may be warranted in order to provide effective tobacco dependence management.

"It All Depends": Patient and Decision Partner Experiences in Cancer Clinical Trial Decision-Making

While the supporting role of families and friends has been widely recognized in cancer care, little data exist on how they influence patients' decisions regarding clinical trial participation, accounting for patients' decisional preferences. The goal of our study was to examine the process of clinical trial decision-making from the perspective of adults with cancer and their decision partners. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 patients and 12 decision partners-family and friends engaged in the medical decision-making. Themes included: (1) having the ability and confidence to make decisions; (2) gaining insight about clinical trials; (3) trusting someone in the process; and (4) realizing readiness and context. Our findings will enhance understanding of how patients make clinical trial decisions based on decisional preferences from the perspectives of patients and decision partners. The findings may also help to increase clinician awareness and inclusion of decision partners in conversations regarding clinical trials.

Development and pilot test of a physician-focused cancer clinical trials communication training intervention

Objective

We describe the development and pilot test of a physician-focused, web-based training module designed to improve physician communication related to clinical trials in a diverse cancer patient population.

Methods

Researchers and stakeholders developed the training module, which included a video explaining patient-centered communication strategies for discussing trials, and re-enactments of actual clinical interactions. For the pilot test, the module was provided to physician participants in the Partnering Around Cancer Clinical Trials (PACCT) trial at two major urban cancer centers. Questionnaires assessed change in beliefs, behavioral attitudes, knowledge and comfort; and perceptions of the module.

Results

Nineteen physicians participated in the pilot test. Most were experienced in discussing trials. Assessments of change were mixed regarding beliefs; they showed marginal improvement in attitudes, and significant improvement in knowledge, but no change in comfort. Feedback on the module was favorable.

Conclusions

This stakeholder-developed physician communication training module was acceptable and effective, albeit in this small and highly-experienced physician sample. Future research should determine its effectiveness on communication in clinical settings.

Innovation

This is the first physician training module to focus on communicating about clinical trials in a diverse patient population. It offers a web-based format and re-enactments of naturally-occurring clinical interactions.

Trial Registration Number: NCT02906241

Effects of Behavioral Weight Loss and Metformin on IGFs in Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Trial

CONTEXT

Higher levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are associated with increased risk of cancers and higher mortality. Therapies that reduce IGF-1 have considerable appeal as means to prevent recurrence.

DESIGN

Randomized, 3-parallel-arm controlled clinical trial.

INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES

Cancer survivors with overweight or obesity were randomized to (1) self-directed weight loss (comparison), (2) coach-directed weight loss, or (3) metformin treatment. Main outcomes were changes in IGF-1 and IGF-1:IGFBP3 molar ratio at 6 months. The trial duration was 12 months.

RESULTS

Of the 121 randomized participants, 79% were women, 46% were African Americans, and the mean age was 60 years. At baseline, the average body mass index was 35 kg/m2; mean IGF-1 was 72.9 (SD, 21.7) ng/mL; and mean IGF1:IGFBP3 molar ratio was 0.17 (SD, 0.05). At 6 months, weight changes were -1.0% (P = 0.07), -4.2% (P < 0.0001), and -2.8% (P < 0.0001) in self-directed, coach-directed, and metformin groups, respectively. Compared with the self-directed group, participants in metformin had significant decreases on IGF-1 (mean difference in change: -5.50 ng/mL, P = 0.02) and IGF1:IGFBP3 molar ratio (mean difference in change: -0.0119, P = 0.011) at 3 months. The significant decrease of IGF-1 remained in participants with obesity at 6 months (mean difference in change: -7.2 ng/mL; 95% CI: -13.3 to -1.1), but not in participants with overweight (P for interaction = 0.045). There were no significant differences in changes between the coach-directed and self-directed groups. There were no differences in outcomes at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In cancer survivors with obesity, metformin may have a short-term effect on IGF-1 reduction that wanes over time.

Willingness to Discuss Clinical Trials Among Black vs White Men With Prostate Cancer

Importance

Black individuals are underrepresented in cancer clinical trials.

Objective

To examine whether Black and White men with prostate cancer differ in their willingness to discuss clinical trials with their physicians and, if so, whether patient-level barriers statistically mediate racial differences.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional survey study used baseline data from Partnering Around Cancer Clinical Trials, a randomized clinical trial to increase Black individuals' enrollment in prostate cancer clinical trials. Data were collected from 2016 through 2019 at 2 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers; participants were Black and White men with intermediate-risk to high-risk prostate cancer. In mediation analysis, path models regressed willingness onto race and each potential mediator, simultaneously including direct paths from race to each mediator. Significant indirect effect sizes served as evidence for mediation.

Exposures

Race was the primary exposure. Potential mediators included age, education, household income, perceived economic burden, pain/physical limitation, health literacy, general trust in physicians, and group-based medical suspicion.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the answer to a single question: "If you were offered a cancer clinical trial, would you be willing to hear more information about it?"

Results

A total of 205 participants were included (92 Black men and 113 White men), with a mean (range) age of 65.7 (45-89) years; 32% had a high school education or lower, and 27.5% had a household income of less than $40 000. Most (88.3%) reported being definitely or probably willing to discuss trials, but White participants were more likely to endorse this highest category of willingness than Black participants (82% vs 64%; χ22 = 8.81; P = .01). Compared with White participants, Black participants were younger (F1,182 = 8.67; P < .001), less educated (F1,182 = 22.79; P < .001), with lower income (F1,182 = 79.59; P < .001), greater perceived economic burden (F1,182 = 42.46; P < .001), lower health literacy (F1,184 = 9.84; P = .002), and greater group-based medical suspicion (F1,184 = 21.48; P < .001). Only group-based medical suspicion significantly mediated the association between race and willingness to discuss trials (indirect effect, -0.22; P = .002).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study of men with prostate cancer, most participants were willing to discuss trials, but Black men were significantly less willing than White men. Black men were more likely to believe that members of their racial group should be suspicious of the health care system, and this belief was associated with lower willingness to discuss trials. Addressing medical mistrust may improve equity in clinical research.

Problem Solving to Enhance Clinical Trial Participation Utilizing a Framework-Driven Approach

Health professionals agree that increasing diversity in clinical trial participants is an important way to improve cancer care and address disparities in outcomes. However, trial participation among minority populations has been low historically and continues to be low. Underrepresentation has resulted in majority groups reaping greater benefit from research findings, thus widening cancer health disparities. Addressing these disparities effectively has proven to be challenging. To maximize diversity among participants, it is necessary to understand the steps patients take to enroll in trials; the barriers patients face at each step; and the needs and preferences of the patient population overall and subgroups specified by age, race, ethnicity, or sex, in order to develop interventions to address barriers to participation. To improve clinical trial participation, and most importantly to eliminate disparities, cancer centers should examine reasons patients fail to enroll in trials and develop interventions designed to meet their patients' needs and preferences.