Pilot Project, Year 9
Summary of project:
- Cancer diagnoses often lead to depression and anxiety, which lowers quality of life and makes it harder for patients to follow complex treatment plans.
- Long travel distances and multiple medical appointments can make treatment harder to complete, which may contribute to worse health outcomes.
- The study will create an adapted distress survey for adult cancer patients in a rural community to identify key psychosocial barriers and supportive factors affecting their treatment experience.
- Findings will help inform support services (such as support groups, patient navigation, and resource connections) and produce a free screening tool that oncology providers can use to better support patients in a rural community.
Funding: The study is funded by NIMHD/NIH 5U54MD012388
About the investigators
Sheila Hammer, MSW, LCSW
Principal Investigator
Associate Clinical Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Email: sheila.hammer@nau.edu
Steven Barger, PhD
Co-Investigator
Professor, Psychological Sciences
Email: steven.barger@nau.edu