Communication Training in Promoting Employment Retention Among Cancer Patients

Using Communication Training to Promote Employment Retention Among Cancer Survivors

This randomized clinical trial studies communication training in promoting employment retention among cancer patients. Communication training may improve patient-employer communication and increase the likelihood that cancer patients will remain employed, reduce patients' time away from work, and increase workplace accommodations that enable patients to balance treatment and work.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Demonstrate the efficacy of the DVD intervention to a) increase patients' knowledge of their legal rights in the workplace, b) improve patient perceptions of workplace communication about the impact of cancer treatment and ongoing surveillance, and c) increase the number of requested and received workplace accommodations.

II. Compare employment status (employed vs non-employed) between the treatment and control arms.

III. Compare weekly hours of work between the treatment and control arms.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

Arm I: Patients receive a DVD containing educational information about patients' legal rights in the workplace and communication skills demonstrated through four scenarios depicting a variety of employer-employee communication challenges for patients, provided by the Legal Information Network for Cancer (LINC) group.

Arm II: Patients receive information about the LINC group

After completion of study, patients are followed up at 4, 12, and 52 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a new, primary diagnosis of a solid tumor
• Employed full- or part-time at the time of enrollment
• English-speaking
• Able to participate in telephone interviews
• Able to view a 1-hour DVD
• Patients must have a treatment plan that includes chemotherapy and be within 2 weeks of initiating chemotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with prior cancer except non-melanoma skin cancer