title: The impact of a multimedia informational intervention on healthcare service use among women and men newly diagnosed with cancer.
abstract: This quasi-experimental longitudinal study documented the impact of a comprehensive cancer informational intervention using information technology on healthcare service use among individuals newly diagnosed with cancer. Women with breast cancer (n = 205) and men with prostate cancer (n = 45) were recruited within 8 weeks of diagnosis at 4 university teaching hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The intervention group (n = 148) received a 1-hour training on information technology use, a CD-ROM on cancer, and a list of reputable cancer-related Web sites. The intervention material was available for a period of 8 weeks. The control group (n = 102) received usual care. Self-reported questionnaires were completed at T1 (baseline), T2 (1 week after intervention), and T3 (3 months after intervention). Using multivariate statistics, the experimental group reported significantly more satisfaction with cancer information received compared to the control group. No significant differences were found between experimental and control groups in their reliance on healthcare services. However, women as opposed to men spent more time with nurses, were more satisfied with cancer information received, and relied more heavily on health services. Future research would explore whether the latter observations reflect genuine sex differences or are more contingent on the specific cancer diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. carmen.loiselle1@mcgill.ca
authors.forename: Carmen G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Loiselle
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubois
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019212:Multimedia; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011792:Quebec; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface