Efficacy of a training program for long-term disease- free cancer survivors as health partners: a randomized controlled trial in Korea.
BACKGROUND
To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancer survivors to be health coaches.


METHODS
We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selected through a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group. The program consisted of 8 weeks of training in health management, leadership, and coaching. At baseline, 8, and 16 weeks, we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile (SHP), the Korean Leadership Coaching Competency Inventory (KCCI), Ed Diner's Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Posttraumatic Growth inventory (PTGI) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) short form 36-item questionnaire (SF- 36).


RESULTS
We recruited 70 subjects and randomly assigned 34 to the intervention group. The Sharpen the Saw habit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.049), as did most PTGI factors. The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality (p = 0.015) and mental health (p = 0.049) SF-36 scores but no improvement in KCCI, SWLS, HADS, or IES-R scores. The intervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the "Think Win-Win" of SHP (p = 0.043) and in the personal strength score (p = 0.025) and total score (p = 0.015) of the PTGI.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches.
Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital and College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea E-mail : lawyun08@gmail.com.
Young Ho
YH
Yun
Myung Kyung
MK
Lee
Yeonmin
Y
Bae
Eun-Jung
EJ
Shon
Bo-Ram
BR
Shin
Hyonsook
H
Ko
Eun Sook
ES
Lee
Dong-Young
DY
Noh
Jae-Young
JY
Lim
Sung
S
Kim
Si-Young
SY
Kim
Chi-Heum
CH
Cho
Kyung Hae
KH
Jung
Mison
M
Chun
Soon Nam
SN
Lee
Kyong Hwa
KH
Park
Yoon Jung
YJ
Chang
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors