Enhancing Connections Program in Improving Communication Between Patients With Incurable Cancer and Their Children

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To test the feasibility of the study protocol in advanced cancer patients
(recruitment/retention, dosage and fidelity of the intervention; program acceptability of
program; and logistics).

II. To evaluate the short-term impact of the program on the diagnosed parents' and children's
adjustment using a within group design (pre- and post-test design).

III. To compare outcomes from the Enhancing Connections Program with outcomes obtained from
the completed Phase III trial (between group design).

OUTLINE:

Patients participate in Enhancing Connections Program comprising of anchoring patients to
help their child, adding to listening skills, building on listening skills, being a detective
of their child's coping, and celebrating success for 5 sessions. Patients also receive
workbook which includes text from the sessions, handouts, and at-home assignments to be
completed between sessions.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Parents will be eligible if they have a diagnosis of incurable cancer of any type

- Read and write English among their languages of choice

- Have a child 5-17 years old living at home who has been told their parent's cancer
diagnosis

- The child does not have learning challenges

Exclusion Criteria:

- Parents will be excluded if they are enrolled in hospice at time of enrollment;
(however, they will be allowed to continue in the study if they enroll in hospice
after beginning the study)

- Parents will be ineligible if their child lives in the home less than 50% of the time