Partners' engagement in surveillance among survivors of colorectal cancer: A qualitative study.
OBJECTIVES
Following treatment of Stage III colorectal cancer, guidelines recommend 3-5 years of surveillance for recurrence. However, over half of the 1.2 million U.S. survivors of colorectal cancer fail to receive guideline-concordant surveillance. In light of growing recognition that members of couples are interdependent and influence each other's health behaviors, we sought to describe, in their own words, the perspectives of spouses/partners on their engagement in patients' surveillance.


METHODS
We conducted in-person, semi-structured interviews with 10 survivors of stage III colorectal cancer and their partners, together and separately. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, iteratively coded, and analyzed to identify emergent themes pertaining to partner engagement. Findings were validated through triangulation between study team members and triangulation between dyadic and individual interviews, and through an extensive search of transcripts for disconfirming evidence.


RESULTS
We identified three overarching domains of partner engagement in surveillance. First, psychosocial engagement included promoting patient participation in surveillance, showing care and concern, and attending to partner self-care. Second, information-seeking and dyadic communication focused on gathering information, staying informed about test results, and communicating about surveillance. Third, instrumental engagement referred to any explicit, objective activities such as scheduling appointments, attending appointments, and managing responsibilities at home. Participants shared strategies, examples, and in some cases unmet needs.


CONCLUSIONS
This study generated new, clinically meaningful knowledge about the ways in which partners engage in patients' surveillance. Opportunities to leverage partners as informal resources in surveillance include development of dyadic interventions to help partners engage most effectively.
['Veenstra|Christine M|CM|0000-0001-9947-7156', 'Acosta|Jennifer|J|', 'Sharar|Rebecca|R|', 'Hawley|Sarah T|ST|', 'Morris|Arden M|AM|0000-0001-5795-2940']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D000073116:Cancer Survivors D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007398:Interpersonal Relations D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D036301:Qualitative Research D011788:Quality of Life D012648:Self Care D012944:Social Support D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires D057832:Watchful Waiting D055815:Young Adult
partners surveillance colorectal cancer cancer qualitative spouses dyadic oncology survivorship