Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24428912›Full record

Trial reportBMC cancer2014

The efficacy of a standardized questionnaire in facilitating personalized communication about problems encountered in cancer genetic counseling: design of a randomized controlled trial.

Willem Eijzenga, Neil K Aaronson, Irma Kluijt, Grace N Sidharta, Daniela Ee Hahn, Margreet Gem Ausems, Eveline Ma Bleiker

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC cancer, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01562431 (The Signal-Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01562431 nacompletednot on this map

The Signal-Trial: Evaluation of a Screening Tool for Psychosocial Problems in Cancer Genetics

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Netherlands Cancer InstituteRan2011 to 2013Enrolled246ConditionsPsychosocial Issues, Cancer GeneticsArmsFeed-back
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Willem Eijzenga
Neil K Aaronson
Irma Kluijt
Grace N Sidharta
Daniela Ee Hahn
Margreet Gem Ausems
Eveline Ma BleikerThe Netherlands Cancer Institute, Dept, of Psychosocial Research and Epidemiology, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.bleiker@nki.nl.
The Netherlands Cancer Institute · NLUniversity Medical Center Utrecht · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with a personal or family history of cancer, can opt for genetic counseling and DNA-testing. Approximately 25% of these individuals experience clinically relevant levels of psychosocial distress, depression and/or anxiety after counseling. These problems are frequently left undetected by genetic counselors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a cancer genetics-specific screening questionnaire for psychosocial problems, the 'Psychosocial Aspects of Hereditary Cancer (PAHC) questionnaire' together with the Distress Thermometer, in: (1) facilitating personalized counselor-counselee communication; (2) increasing counselors' awareness of their counselees' psychosocial problems; and (3) facilitating the management of psychosocial problems during and after genetic counseling.

methodsThis multicenter, randomized controlled trial will include 264 individuals undergoing cancer genetic counseling in two family cancer clinics in the Netherlands. Participants will be randomized to either: (1) an intervention group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, the results of which are made available to the genetic counselor prior to the counseling session; or (2) a control group that completes the PAHC questionnaire, but without feedback being given to the genetic counselor. The genetic counseling sessions will be audiotaped for content analysis. Additionally, study participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at baseline, three weeks after the initial counseling session, and four months after a telephone follow-up counseling session. The genetic counselors will be asked to complete questionnaires at the start of and at completion of the study, as well as a checklist directly after each counseling session. The questionnaires/checklists of the study include items on communication during genetic counseling, counselor awareness of their clients' psychosocial problems, the (perceived) need for professional psychosocial support, cancer worries, general distress, specific psychosocial problems, satisfaction with care received, and experience using the PAHC questionnaire. DISCUSSION: This study will provide empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of a relatively brief psychosocial screening questionnaire in terms of facilitating personalized communication, increasing counselors' awareness, and optimizing management of psychosocial problems in the cancer genetic counseling setting.

trial registrationThis study is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3205) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01562431).

Indexed as

Genetic TestingResearch DesignSurveys and QuestionnairesAnxietyAttitude of Health PersonnelAwarenessDepressionGenetic CounselingGenetic Predisposition to DiseaseHeredityHumansNeoplasmsNetherlandsPedigreePhenotypePredictive Value of Tests

Identifiers

PMID24428912
PMCPMC3898090
OpenAlexW2140877275

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.