Effects of the source in communicating (social) comparison information. Study 2 of the project: Evidence based development of patient education information to be provided through different media to increase quality of life in cancer patients.

Cancer patients who are discharged from the hospital after a curative treatment
transit to a next difficult phase: Weeks or months after discharge social
support declines, the fear of reoccurance of cancer is manifest and problems
with social and societal roles become saillient. In this phase the quality of
life is threatened. In this study a method to support quality of life will be
developed and tested. The method consists of communicating (social) comparison
information to the patient.

This proposal concerns study 2 of the larger project. In study 1 is was tested
which type of social comparison information was the most effective for whom in
increasing quality of life. In study 2, the relevance of the source of the
information will be addressed: the patient or the psychologist. As in study 1,
patients will receive the information in the form of an interview with a
patient or a psychologist. The patient will provide a testimonial of the
personal experience with cancer while the psychologist will tell about how
patients in general experience cancer. It is expected that people high in
social comparison orientation will benefit the most from the patient as a
source while patients low in social comparison orientation will benefit the
most from the psychologist as a source. The information will be offered in
audio-format (on CD-Rom).


Results of study 1

In study 1, patients who finished treatment for cancer no longer ago then 6
months were assigned to one of four conditions. In the first condition,
patients received a CD-Rom with an interview with a fellow-patient, telling a
personal story on (only) the emotions in reaction to having cancer. In the
second condition, the CD-Rom contained an interview with a fellow-patient,
telling a personal story on (only) coping with cancer. In the third condition,
a fellow-patient told a personal story about emotions as well as about coping.
In the fourth (control) condition, patients received a CD-Rom with quiet gitar
music.

The results, three months after having sent the audio-materials, can be
summarized as follows. With regard to three outcome measures, quality of life,
negative emotions and positive emotions, the results showed that the four
conditions differed significantly (p<.05). The data showed that: 1) the
only-emotions and the only-coping conditions were significantly more effective
than the music condition; 2) the combination condition (emotions as well as
coping) was no more effective than the music condition. These results, firstly,
show that we are able to influence quality of life (and emotions) in the
desired direction. Secondly, not all social comparison information is
effective, so it matters what information we provide patients with.

The goal if this study is to find out what the most effective source of the
(social) comparison information is when it comes to increasing quality of life
and decreasing negative emotions.

In this study, participants will be assigned to 1 of 4 conditions. In condition
1, patients receive the social comparison information that was the most
effective in study 1. That is, on the basis of individual differences they will
receive the type of information (coping, emotions or the combination) that led
in study 1 to the largest increase in quality of life. In conditions 2, 3, and
4, a specialized psychologist will tell about how patients in general
experience cancer. In the three conditions, the psychologist will address the
coping, emotions or the combination of both, respectively. Thus, the central
test of study 2 is between the most effective patient testimonial and the most
effective information from the psychologist.

Before the information will be send, participants are asked to fill in a
questionnaire assessing background variables, such as disease history and
socio-demographic variables. Three weeks and three months after they received
the information the follow-up measurement will be conducted.

The (social) comparison information consists of the personal testimonial from a
fellow-patient or information on how patients in general experience cancer,
told by a specialized psychologist. The information will be in audio-format
(approximately 20 minutes).

Physically, the present study will be no burden to the patient.
Psychologically, the burden will be minimal as we know from earlier studies
that the similar information can increase quality if life.