Clinical Trial: PainSquad+: A Smartphone App to Support Real-time Pain Management for Adolescents With Cancer

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: PainSquad+: A Smartphone App to Support Real-time Pain Management for Adolescents

Brief Summary: Adolescents with cancer (AWC) are in a unique developmental stage that may mean pain characteristics, the impact of pain, and pain treatment outcomes are different in adolescents compared to children and adults. In response, we will develop and test the PainSquad+ pain management smartphone app. First, we will conduct usability testing to refine PainSquad+ so that it is useable, acceptable and understandable for AWC. Secondly we will: (a) test the feasibility of conducting a large-scale PainSquad+ experiment and (b) begin to examine how effective PainSquad+ is at helping adolescents manage pain. We hope that once developed and tested for effectiveness, PainSquad+ will improve pain treatment and ultimately quality of life in AWC.

Detailed Summary: Using a conservative estimate of 7 adolescents per cycle and 3 testing cycles, 21 adolescents will take part in usability testing of the PainSquad+ prototype. Recruitment will be conducted in a single hematology/oncology division of a metropolitan and university-affiliated pediatric tertiary care center in Toronto, Canada. This site hosts one of the largest cancer programs in North America, with approximately 350 new diagnoses each year. Based on our previous research at this site, 72 ± 4% (M ± SD; range = 67-75%) of eligible AWC agreed to participate in similar studies (unpublished data). Convenience sampling will be used to recruit eligible individuals. The testing procedures will commence after eligibility is assessed, informed consent is obtained, and demographic and baseline outcome data are collected. Inclusion criteria will be: (a) aged 12-18 years, (b) able to speak and read English, (c) actively undergoing cancer treatment on an in- or out-patient basis, (d) being at least 3 months from diagnosis and (d) having self-reported pain of any intensity in the week immediately prior to recruitment. Exclusion criteria will be: (a) one or more major co-morbid (medical or psychiatric) conditions that would preclude use of a smartphone, and (b) palliative/end-of-life patients.
Sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children

Current Primary Outcome:

• Accrual and attrition rates [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  The Cancer Pain Management App Recruitment Log has been designed to record data related to the number of eligible adolescents per recruitment day, reasons for ineligibility, and reasons for nonparticipation. The Cancer Pain Management App Activity Log has been designed to record data on attrition (occurrence/reasons for attrition), as well as technical difficulties, adherence and outcome measure completion.
• Technical difficulties [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  The occurrence and description of technical problems will be recorded on the Cancer Pain Management App Activity Log.
• Acceptability [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  The Acceptability E-Scale (AES) ascertains perceptions related to how helpful, difficult, and enjoyable e-based programs are to use, how understandable questions are, and how acceptable the time invested in reporting was (Wu, Johnson, Schepp, & Berry, 2011). For the purpose of the present study, the wording of the AES will be slightly modified. Specifically, the words "computer program" will be changed to "app" and open-ended questions regarding study acceptability will be added.
• Adherence [ Time Frame: 12 months ]
  Measured as the percentage of pain reports received on the secure server. An RA will sign onto the server and extract data logged by AWC on Day 29 to calculate adherence (100% when 28/28 morning and evening reports are completed). These data will be recorded on the Cancer Pain Management App Activity Log.
• Same as current
  
  

  Current Secondary Outcome:
  
  

  Original Secondary Outcome:
  
  Information By: The Hospital for Sick Children
  

  Dates:
  Date Received: September 12, 2016
  Date Started: April 2015
  Date Completion:
  Last Updated: September 20, 2016
  Last Verified: September 2016