effects of a teaching intervention with an advanced practice nurse on quality of life and psychosocial and symptom distress in patients with ovarian cancer

Conditions: Ovarian Cancer; Transitional Care Planning

Summary: rationale: a teaching intervention with an advanced practice nurse may help reduce psychosocial and symptom distress and improve the well-being and quality of life of patients with ovarian cancer. purpose: this clinical trial is studying the effects of a teaching intervention with an advanced practice nurse on quality of life and psychosocial and symptom distress in patients with ovarian cancer.

objectives: * to compare the effects of a standardized nursing intervention protocol (snip) model with an advanced practice nurse vs usual care on overall quality of life and psychological distress from initial treatment to 6 months after diagnosis in patients with ovarian cancer. * to compare symptom control in these patients. * to compare geriatric assessment outcomes in these patients. * to compare the effects of the snip intervention vs usual care on resource use by these patients. * to test the effects of snip on patients' and clinicians' satisfaction with care. * to describe the effects of snip on management of transitions from one phase of chronic illness to another. * to identify subgroups of patients with ovarian cancer who benefit most from the snip in relation to sociodemographic characteristics, disease/treatment factors, and geriatric assessment predictors. * to obtain feedback from clinicians regarding interpretation of findings and application to the routine care of ovarian cancer patients. outline: patients are stratified according to age (18 to 60 years vs 61 years and over). patients are sequentially enrolled into 1 of 2 groups. patients are initially enrolled in group i. once enrollment in group i is completed, additional patients are enrolled in group ii. * group i (usual care): patients complete questionnaires, including the fact-ovarian, memorial symptom assessment scale, psychological distress thermometer, and comprehensive geriatric assessment, at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. clinicians also complete questionnaires, including the clinician satisfaction with intervention questionnaire. patients' medical charts are reviewed to collect information about treatment, episodes of care, and readmissions. * group ii (advanced practice nurse \[apn\] intervention): patients undergo face-to-face individualized teaching sessions with an apn twice a month for 2 months. the sessions focus on the patient's physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being and the content is tailored to the patient's preferences and needs. patients are then contacted by the apn via telephone once a month for 4 months to clarify questions and content from the teaching sessions, review any patient concerns, including concerns associated with a transition, and coordinate interdisciplinary resources, including community resources, as needed. patients and clinicians complete questionnaires as in group i. patients' medical charts are also reviewed.

Eligibility criteria:
disease characteristics: * diagnosis of ovarian cancer (any stage) patient characteristics: * lives within a 30-mile radius of city of hope national medical center * no prior cancer prior concurrent therapy: * not specified

Keywords: transitional care planning stage i ovarian epithelial cancer stage ii ovarian epithelial cancer stage iii ovarian epithelial cancer stage iv ovarian epithelial cancer