FAQ
Will I be compensated?
Yes! We will compensate both you and your partner up to $650 each (for a total of $1300 per couple) for completing all measures over the approximately 2-year study duration.
Do I have to complete all of the surveys?
We hope that you will complete all of the surveys. We understand that people sometimes might forget to complete a survey, especially when you are in the portion of the study when you complete surveys on a daily basis. However, you should only enroll in the study if you intend to try to complete all the surveys over the next two years. We would be happy to work with you and figure out when these surveys will take place, and there is some flexibility for exactly what days you need to complete the surveys. Overall, though, we hope that because the surveys are online it will be convenient for you to complete all of them.
Is this study related to my treatment?
No, this study is not related to your treatment. We are interested in learning about your experiences, including your treatment experiences, but whether you participate or not will have no bearing on the services you receive at Christiana Care.
Will my answers on the questionnaire be anonymous?
If you agree to participate, we will assign you an ID number. As a result, the information you provide to us on the questionnaires will be de-identified so that it will not be directly linked to any identifying information about you. We will keep a separate database with your name and contact information for administrative purposes, such as making sure that you get paid for your time.
Why do you want this information?
We are asking breast cancer patients and their partners to help us better understand their long-term experience with cancer. We are interested in developing programs for cancer survivors and helping health care professionals improve their understanding of how individuals and couples cope with cancer.
What if my partner does not want to participate? Can I still participate?
Because we want to understand the experiences on how couples confront the breast cancer experience, we would need both you and your partner to participate.
Can you tell me more about the accelerometer that I would have to wear?
We are interested in the amount of physical activity and sleep that people are getting, and the accelerometer is a good way to collect this information accurately and reliably. The accelerometer is a small device that you would wear around your non-dominant wrist like a watch. We would ask both you and your partner to wear an accelerometer for all 21 days of each diary period. The accelerometer would be worn at all times, including while you sleep and bathe. (The accelerometers are water-resistant.) You wouldn’t need to do anything except wear it! When you come in for your second and third study visit, you will receive the accelerometer. After the 21-day period is over, you will mail back the accelerometers in a stamped, addressed envelope that we provided at the study visit.
What is a pill tracking cap?
A MEMS ® Cap is a Medication Event Monitoring System or medication tracking device. Each cap records the time and date of each opening and closing of the bottle. Each cap is designed to monitor/track one patient with one drug. The cap of the bottle is the electronic component of the device. A reader then transfers the data from the MEMS ® Cap to the computer software.
What referrals can you offer me at the HFGCC?
We have a cancer care management department at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center. They have therapists, dietitians, social workers, and other resources available to you and your partner. Helen F. Graham Cancer Center: 302-623-4500