This study examines how supportive care clinic patients have made decisions or had discussions about how their caregivers or family should manage their social media account(s) after death. Collecting information on the use of social media and preferences will allow for a better understanding of patient's needs in the dying process and may identify populations in need of education, identify a possible source of anxiety and stress, and allow for an informed discussion of digital legacy.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. Identify the proportion of patients with advanced cancer in the supportive cancer clinic who have had discussions regarding their social media account (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) management after death. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: I. Identify the proportion of social media participation among advanced cancer patients seen in the supportive care clinic. II. Evaluate the baseline awareness advanced cancer patients seen in the supportive care clinic have regarding how their Facebook account may be managed after death. III. Evaluate affect changes and distress as a result from the conversation regarding their social media account management after death. IV. Evaluate if discussion of social media account management among patients with advanced cancer in the supportive cancer clinic will increase their awareness of and motivation to address their social media account management options. OUTLINE: Patients complete questionnaires over 30 minutes about level of anxiety and social media use and management.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
117
Complete questionnaires
M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States
Proportion of patients with advanced cancer in the supportive cancer clinic who have had discussions regarding their social media account
Will be measured by Question 10 in the survey: "I have had conversations with my family or friends regarding how I would like any of my social media accounts managed after death", which contains five options: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Agree, or Strongly Agree. The results will be dichotomized into either "Strongly Agree/Agree" or "Neither Agree or Disagree/ Disagree/Strongly Disagree". A two-sided 95% confidence interval will extend a maximum of 0.063 from the proportion of main interest.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
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