The proposed project is an educational campaign for patients and families about how they can most effectively self-manage aspects of chronic illness to improve quality of life and contain healthcare costs. The first illness we will address in the campaign is cancer. In Phase I, the creative plans for the educational materials will be developed and researched for effectiveness. Phase II products will include: a videotape, patient organizer, and a web content module. All three products will present models of successful self-management and will show strong professional/patient relationships. The package will be carefully researched and then reviewed by health care professionals. Development of the Phase I creative plans will involve interviewing professionals, individuals and family members to learn which self-management techniques and supports have proved most effective. From these interviews, we will generate three creative plans to present the narrative, characters, and topics of the final videotape, organizer, and web content module. These creative plans will be reviewed first by the Board of Advisors and then in the research phase of the project by focus groups. The three creative plans will be quantitatively and qualitatively tested to ensure that each product meets the informational as well as the supportive needs of individuals with cancer. In Phase II the creative plans drafted and evaluated in Phase I will be used to develop a broadcast-quality videotape, print patient organizer, and an interactive web content module based on the concepts validated in Phase I research.
