The impact of a pharmacy student led discussion group on parents of teenagers living with cancer: a service-based learning project

Rachel Saroka and Amy Parkhill, PhD

St John Fisher College, Wegmans School of Pharmacy, Rochester, NY

IntroductionNo longer children and not yet adults, adolescents with cancer face unique challenges both socially and medically. Over the last 20 years, cancer survival rates have increased dramatically for children and older adults, but there has been minimal improvement in survival rates for the adolescent and young adult (AYA) population.1 Since teenagers receive chemotherapy early in their life, it puts them at increased risk of secondary malignancies and other late onset effects later in their life.2 To address some of these health consequences, TLC has provided the TLC FIT program. This was a free eight week fitness program designed to re-train and empower young adult cancer survivors ages 13 to 22 and give them tools individualized to their needs to stay physically fit.

Furthermore, physical changes that occur with treatment, along with misunderstanding from peers, can make an already stressful time of life unbearable. TLC aims to improve the quality of life for all those impacted by adolescent cancer, family and friends included. Support groups provided by TLC allow teens to be surrounded with other teens that understand what they are going through.3

ObjectiveService based learning courses are becoming more widespread as the benefits to the students, university, and community are being recognized. As part of an elective cancer biology course, students partnered with Teens Living with Cancer (TLC). TLC is a project of the non-profit organization Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation. The focus of the study was to determine the impact of a student led discussion group, covering the long-term consequences of chemotherapy, had on the parents of teenagers living with cancer.

Methods• The student led discussion was conducted with parents of

teenagers afflicted by cancer at a support group meeting. • Reference cards were provided that detailed the late effects of

various chemotherapy agents outlined by pharmacologic class, risk factors in developing the late effects, and what to periodically evaluate in monitoring for these late effects.

• Information for the reference cards was largely obtained from Children’s Oncology Group (COG) guidelines that included the AYA population.3

• Parents were given the opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns.

• At the conclusion of the meeting, parents were asked to complete surveys to identify the impact and benefit of the information provided.

• Survey questions included five-point Likert scale questions and open-ended questions

Conclusions and Implications• The student led discussion was successfully

administered to 7 parents all of whom had a teenager or young adult survivor of cancer or currently undergoing treatment.

• 5 students from service learning course, PHAR 5526: Introduction to Cancer Biology and Treatment participated in the discussion

• All of the parents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” with the survey

• One parent disagreed with discussing the information with their teenager

• Future directions would be to set up a similar discussion with the teens and young adult fighters/survivors of cancer

References1. National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Minimal Improvement in Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer

Patients Survival Rate. (http://www.nccn.org/about/news/newsinfo.asp?NewsID=246) Accessed 11 Nov 2012.

2. Melissa’s Living Legacy Teen Cancer Foundation. http://www.melissaslivinglegacy.org/about/index.html. Accessed 11 Nov 2012.

3. Children’s Oncology Group. Long-term follow-up guidelines for survivors of childhood, adolescent and young adult cancers, Version 3.0. Arcadia, CA: Children's Oncology Group; October 2008; Available on-line: www.survivorshipguidelines.org.

Table 1. Parents responses to questions pertaining to the Likert type survey questions. n=7 1 = Strongly Disagree; 2= Disagree; 3= Somewhat Agree; 4= Agree; 5= Strongly Agree

”.

Acknowledgment & DisclosureThe authors would like to thank Lauren Spiker and Leah Shearer from TLC for their guidance and

support during this process.

Both authors of this presentation have nothing to disclose concerning possible financial or personal relationships with commercial entities that may have a direct or indirect interest in the subject matter of this presentation

Table 2. Parent answers from open-ended questions

What was liked most about the discussion with the pharmacy students:

“The fact that I was able to ask questions and get informative answers”

“The enthusiasm and meticulousness of all of them”What was liked most about the reference cards:

“Clean lists” and “Very detailed”

“Helps me figure out later effects”

“Having something to take home and share with my child”What could be improved on:

“Less clinical abbreviations”

“Shorten talk”Additional comments:

“Consider presenting the risk factors/late effects directly to the teens and young adults”

“Very informational”

Survey Question Mean % of parents who agree

I found the meeting with the pharmacy students useful/informative 4.57 100%

I found the reference cards useful/informative 4.86 100%

The students were able to address issues regarding my teens chemotherapy and their future health 4.57 100%

I felt confident in the information provided by the students 4.71 100%

I will discuss this information with my teen 4.29 85.7%

I would participate in a discussion group with students like this again 4.86 100%

Figure 1. Parents were asked to rate the following statement on a 5-point scale (see Table 1): “I found the meeting with the pharmacy students useful/informative” (% of parents, n=7)

Figure 2. Parents were asked to rate the following statement on a 5-point scale (see Table 1): “I would participate in a discussion group like this again” (% of parents, n=7)

42.9

57.1AgreeStrongly Agree

14.3

85.7

AgreeStrongly Agree