# A Randomized Controlled Trial using a Heuristic Tool To Improve Symptom Self-Management in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer

> **NIH NIH R01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $559,138

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Approximately 90,000 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are diagnosed with cancer yearly in the United
States. AYAs with cancer experience multiple co-occurring and related symptoms from their disease and
treatment that adversely affect their day-to-day lives and are difficult to self-manage. Because undermanaged
symptoms reduce quality of life and increase symptom severity and distress, effective person-centered
symptom self-management (SS-M) is imperative for AYAs with cancer. A major barrier, however, is a lack of
effective symptom self-management interventions that are tailored to this population. The proposed study
addresses this gap by testing an intervention designed to improve SS-M behaviors in AYAs with cancer who
are in active treatment. The Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT) is an intervention that uses a
heuristics approach to promote AYAs’ self-awareness and insight about themselves and their symptoms and
help them visualize the ‘big picture’ of their unique symptom experience. This use of heuristics contrasts with
typical checklist approaches to symptom assessment which do not incorporate the patient’s perspective to
identify symptoms of high priority, defined as the symptoms that are most important to them, and
interrelationships among symptoms. The C-SCAT also facilitates AYAs in discussing the symptom issues that
are of greatest importance to them with a clinician and jointly developing an effective plan for SS-M. This study
is a two-group multi-site randomized controlled trial in which 126 AYAs with cancer in active treatment will be
randomly assigned to the C-SCAT intervention group or usual care control group. The specific aims are to: 1)
Determine the effects of the C-SCAT versus usual care on the primary outcomes of self-efficacy for symptom
management and symptom self-management behaviors immediately post intervention (Time 1) and at follow-
up one month later (Time 2); 2) Examine the effects of the C-SCAT versus usual care on secondary outcomes
(symptom severity, symptom distress, social function, and satisfaction with social function) immediately post
intervention (Time 1) and at follow-up one month later (Time 2); and 3) Explore the relationships of individual
factors and social determinants of health with self-efficacy for symptom management and symptom self-
management behaviors at baseline (Time 0).The long-term goal of this research is to mitigate the symptoms
that AYAs experience during cancer treatment by supporting symptom self-management. If shown to be
effective, the C-SCAT could be incorporated into clinical settings and possibly into the electronic health record
as an efficient, low-cost approach to improve symptom self-management.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10863867
- **Project number:** 5R01CA286799-02
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ronald K. Elswick
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $559,138
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-06-09 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10863867

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10863867, A Randomized Controlled Trial using a Heuristic Tool To Improve Symptom Self-Management in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer (5R01CA286799-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10863867. Licensed CC0.

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