Telemedicine

This clinical trial evaluates the impact of telehealth self-management coaching sessions on quality of life in pancreatic cancer survivors and their family care givers (FCGs). Patients with pancreatic cancer experience many symptoms because of the disease and treatment, which can have a negative impact on quality of life. Patients and their families have unmet needs during treatment, including a lack of quality of life programs that offer support to patients. Supporting patients and families on managing the physical symptoms, emotional well-being, social well-being and spiritual well-being with telehealth self-management coaching sessions may help improve quality of life, manage symptoms from treatment, and support families in their role as caregivers during treatment.

This phase III trial compares the use of a digital chatbot enabled intervention to standard remote genetic services for increasing uptake of genetic counseling and testing among adolescents and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Genetic testing for cancer predisposition syndromes has become standard evidence-based practice and can inform enhanced screening and risk reducing measures to reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Despite this, many AYAs are not receiving recommended genetic counseling and testing. Offering remote telehealth services can address access barriers and chatbots and texting interventions could enhance patient outcomes and reduce provider and staff time. The use of a digital chatbot enabled intervention may be equally as effective as standard remote genetic services in AYA cancer patients undergoing genetic testing.

This clinical trial studies whether an exercise program can be successfully delivered to patients receiving treatment for cancer through virtual sessions and allow patients to exercise in their own home. Treatments for cancer can cause side effects such as fatigue and loss of strength. These side effects can make it difficult to work, take care of family, and do other things the patient wants to do. Preliminary research shows that exercise can help prevent some of these side effects, but it can be more difficult to start an exercise program when a patient is receiving cancer treatment. The exercise program in this study is delivered through telehealth (TH) video calls. The TH sessions are delivered by trained staff that supervise resistance exercises. The trained staff also provide guidance to the patient on completing unsupervised aerobic sessions on their own. This may be a successful way to deliver an exercise program and make it easier for cancer patients to exercise in their own home during treatment.