Digital Peer Navigation for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer

Summary

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer experience unique challenges after completing treatment and face distinct barriers to optimal care and support. These challenges include higher levels of symptom burden and treatment complications, interrupted education, careers and relationships, and financial hardship. AYA lack access to peers, relevant information and emotional support, and report gaps in care when dealing with these difficult challenges.

Digital peer navigation could help to address the needs of AYA and overcome barriers to care and support. The PI developed True North Peer Navigation (TrueNTH-PN), an evidence-based digital peer navigation program for men with prostate cancer and online peer navigator training course. The goal of this project is to adapt TrueNTH-PN for AYA and evaluate its feasibility to overcome barriers to care and support, and enhance patient activation among AYA during the challenging post-treatment phase.

In partnership with AYA cancer survivors, the Canadian Cancer Society, Young Adult Cancer Canada, a digital app design firm and technology provider, our cross-Canada team will: (1) Adapt and evaluate the usability of the TrueNTH-PN app for AYA; (2) Adapt and evaluate the effectiveness of the Peer Navigator Training Course for AYA; and (3) Determine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of the new AYA-PN program among post-treatment AYA cancer survivors.

This project will produce an innovative solution to an important service gap in the lives of AYA with cancer. It has the potential to address the support needs of AYA, overcome barriers to care, and empower AYA to take proactive role in managing their health. In addition, it will give rise to AYA peer navigators with specialized skills, which could fill gaps in disrupted education and career paths, and help to attain future goals.

Conditions

• Lymphoma
• Breast Cancer
• Testicular Cancer
• Sarcoma

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Digital Peer Navigation

Participants in the intervention group will receive ongoing support from a trained peer navigator for 3 months after completing treatment for cancer. Participants will be matched through a digital app with a trained peer navigator who assesses needs and barriers to care, provides practical, informational, and emotional support, and empowers them to take a proactive role in their health. Patients will communicate with their peer navigator through digital direct messaging, videoconference or by telephone. Participants will also have access to a health resource library on the digital app that contains local and national resources about cancer.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Canadian Cancer Society (CCS)

  collaborator OTHER

• Young Adult Cancer Canada

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University Health Network, Toronto

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jackie Bender, PhD · UHN

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

40 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-08-27

Primary Completion

2026-09-30

Completion

2026-12-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations