The major goals of Project 1 are: 1) to develop and test a highly innovative virtual CIS (V-CIS) multimedia preparatory and educational program (CD-ROM and web-based) to facilitate education, informed treatment decision-making and adjustment by prostate cancer patient callers to the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS), and 2) to develop and test a telephone callback intervention conducted by CIS Information Specialists on this same patient population. Project 1 will conduct both a 3-arm efficacy trial and a 2-arm feasibility study. The efficacy trial will incorporate a 3-group """"""""stepped"""""""" design for eligible CIS callers who report computer access (n = 360 per group enrolled at baseline), where: Group 1 = standard CIS service (+) standard print material, Group 2 = Group 1 (+) the V-CIS multimedia educational and preparatory program, and Group 3 = Group 2 (+) the callback intervention interview conducted by CIS Information Specialists. The 2-group feasibility study (n = 75 per group at baseline) will target CIS callers who do not report computer access, where: Group 1A = Group 1 above, and Group 2A = Group 1A (+) the CIS callback intervention. All groups will receive telephone follow-up interviews at 2, 6, and 12 months for process and outcome evaluation. The primary research hypothesis for the 3-group study is that Group 1 < Group 2 < Group 3 with respect to cancer-specific distress, decisional conflict and quality of life. The 2- group feasibility study will focus on estimating eligibility, participation and cohort retention rates, and providing preliminary estimates of effect sizes. The efficacy trial, which will also include mediator and moderator analyses, has been designed for future dissemination within the CIS, while the feasibility study will provide essential preliminary evidence for a future efficacy trial to be conducted by the CISRC.
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