A guided internet-delivered individually-tailored ACT-influenced cognitive behavioural intervention to improve psychosocial outcomes in breast cancer survivors (iNNOVBC): Study protocol

Abstract

<p><i>Background - </i>Internet-delivered interventions can provide remarkable opportunities in addressing breast cancer survivors' unmet support care needs, as they present an effective strategy to improve care coordination and provide access to efficacious, cost-efficient and convenient survivorship care. Nevertheless, research focusing on improving survivors' psychosocial needs using internet-based tools is scarce and its practical implementation is limited. <p><i>Objectives - </i>To study the acceptability, feasibility, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of iNNOVBC, a 10 weeks guided internet-delivered individually-tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-influenced cognitive behavioural (CBT) intervention developed to improve mild to moderate anxiety and depression in Breast cancer survivors when compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in a waiting list control group (WLC). <p><i>Methods - </i>A two-arm, parallel, open label, multicentre, waiting list randomized controlled trial will be conducted to investigate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of INNOVBC. The primary outcomes in this research will be anxiety and depression. Secondary outcomes will include psychological flexibility, fatigue, insomnia, sexual dysfunction and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). <p><i>Ethical approval - </i>This study has been reviewed and approved by <i>Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados; Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto Francisco Gentil; Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos, EPE; Centro Hospitalar de São João</i> and <i>Ordem dos Psicólogos</i> ethical committees. <p><i>Expected results - </i>It is anticipated that iNNOVBC will show to be an efficacious and cost-effective program in improving the outcomes of interest in this study, as opposed to a WLC under TAU. The results of this research will be published in accordance with CONSORT-EHEALTH guidelines. <p><i>Conclusions - </i>This study will inform on the acceptability, feasibility, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of iNNOVBC, in improving psychosocial outcomes in breast cancer survivors when compared to TAU in a WLC. Its conclusions will contribute to understand the idiosyncrasies of designing and implementing internet-delivered interventions in breast cancer survivors.