Background/rationale
Treatment for cancer can impact patients’ physical and emotional wellbeing during and after treatment. The “Why Wait for Wellness Program” (WWW) was developed as a face-to-face group that delivered timely information on diet, exercise, sleep and stress management following cancer diagnosis to assist participants to self-manage during their treatment and was quickly converted to online delivery during the Covid19 pandemic. This project aimed to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of online delivery and compare it with the face-to-face delivery of the WWW program to meet the needs of a Victorian regional and rural community.
Methods
This project consisted of two phases:
Phase 1 focused on retrospective file audit and review of evaluation forms from the face-to-face program between June 2019 and July 2021.
Phase 2 focused on a prospective audit and evaluation for participants from July 2022 to December 2022 of the face-to-face and online program, including one-on-one interviews of 12 participants and a focus group (n=6). Thematic analysis was conducted of interview and focus group transcripts and evaluation forms. Quantitative analysis of the demographic data and response ratings in the evaluation form was also conducted.
Impact on practice
The “Why Wait for Wellness program” was renamed “Coping with Cancer Education”. The content continues to focus on diet, exercise, sleep and stress management and now includes fatigue management and fear of cancer recurrence. The program is delivered as a face-to-face program with a hybrid option.
Discussion
Evaluation of the online delivery of the program was not completed as planned due to participant preference for face-to-face attendance during the project. This resulted in offering hybrid delivery to enhance attendance opportunities for rural participants. The lessons from this project will be outlined.