Testing Accountability in Patient Adherence

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center225 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this research study is to look for factors that influence whether or not head and neck cancer patients follow the swallowing exercises that they are asked to perform while receiving radiation treatment.

Head and neck cancer patients who receive radiation are at risk for permanent swallowing disorders. Because of these potential problems, swallowing exercises are an important part of recovery. Researchers want to learn what factors affect how well patients follow the swallowing schedule they are given, and what can be done to make it consistent. If you agree to take part in this study, you will have the following procedures performed. Videotaped Swallowing Exercise: Researchers will ask you to perform 3 swallowing exercises while being recorded by a video camera. The length of the taping session will be 3 minutes. Afterward, you will fill out 3 questionnaires. The questionnaires will take about 10 minutes to complete. Length of Study: You will be asked to come in 1 time for this study. For the next 2 years, information may be collected from your medical record. This information will include the cancer stage, if the disease has gotten worse, any treatment you receive, and any side effects you experience. This information will help researchers learn how certain treatments affect patients and their risk for future disease. This is an investigational study. Up to 225 patient will take part in this study. All will be enrolled at MD Anderson.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

225

Conditions

Head And Neck Cancer

Interventions

Swallowing ExercisesOTHER

Participants perform 3 swallowing exercises.

Symptom InventoryBEHAVIORAL

Participants complete an M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory for Head and Neck Cancer Patients before swallowing exercise procedure.

QuestionnairesBEHAVIORAL

Participants fill out 3 questionnaires after swallowing exercises. The questionnaires will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Are dispositioned to receive radiation with curative intent for nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, hypopharyngeal, laryngeal, or an unknown primary cancer with cervical metastases. 2. Are stage II-IVB for oropharyngeal and laryngeal 3. Are stage I-IVB for hypopharyngeal and nasopharyngeal 4. At least 18 years of age 5. Speak and read English 6. Oriented to time, person, and place 7. Have a Zubrod performance status of 0 to 2 Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have other cancer diagnoses, except non-melanoma skin cancer 2. Had treatment for previous H \& N cancer or radiation to the head and neck 3. Have a history of previous head and neck surgery (excluding biopsy and/or tonsillectomy and/or tracheotomy) 4. Have a current oropharyngeal dysphagia unrelated to cancer diagnosis (e.g., dysphagia due to underlying neurogenic disorder)

Locations (1)

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Adherence to Swallowing Exercises

Purpose of experiment is to determine whether an accountability manipulation and whether human vs technological monitoring result in higher patient adherence. Main outcome measure is perseverance of effort which will be number of repetitions within one minute interval for each exercise.

Time frame: 1 day

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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