Abstract
IntroductionAfter treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), up to 90% of patients have difficulties eating and drinking (Chan et al., 2018). A growing body of evidence indicates the enormity of challenges explicitly relating to the social dimension of eating for patients following treatment (Ganzer et al.,2015). Patients report social eating after treatment as a loss; consisting of a loss of events, loss of enjoyment, loss of confidence, and loss of togetherness (Dornan et al., 2021). Despite these challenges, there are limited extant interventions to specifically support the social dimension of eating nor any replicable for use in contemporary clinical practice. This research aims to plan and develop a self-management intervention to promote social eating for patients living with and beyond HNC.
Methods
The intervention development was guided by the Person-Based Approach (PBA) (Yardley et al.,2015). A systematic review of the social eating experiences of patients with HNC was conducted and published (Dornan et al., 2021), followed by qualitative interviews with patients (n=14),relatives (n=12) and healthcare professionals (n=13) and thematically analysed. Based on this research, a self-management intervention prototype was developed, informed by literature and qualitative findings and reviewed by an expert advisory group, which was then iteratively tested for usability and acceptability using think-aloud interviews.
Results
The systematic review (Dornan et al., 2021) and empirical qualitative research findings (Dornan et al., 2022a, 2022b) informed the development of a patient-centred, evidence-based, and theory driven resource to promote social eating for patients with HNC. Using self-management theory(Ryan and Sawin, 2009), key features were identified to reflect the impact of HNC on social eating, improve confidence and promote strategies to overcome social eating barriers.
Conclusion
Integrating the systematic and iterative PBA, relevant theory, and stakeholder involvement can develop an acceptable intervention to promote social eating for patients living with HNC. Additional mixed-methods evaluation is required to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of this intervention in clinical practice.
| Date of Award | May 2023 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Sponsors | Department for the Economy |
| Supervisor | Anne Moorhead (Supervisor), Eilis Mc Caughan (Supervisor) & Cherith Semple (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- head and neck cancer
- cancer survivorship
- social eating