# A Mindfulness-Based e-Health Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence among Breast Cancer Survivors

> **NIH NIH R34** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $276,500

## Abstract

Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) successfully reduces distress and pain, and improves psychological
functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with chronic conditions such as cancer.
MBSR interventions have also been efficacious at promoting the uptake and adherence of health behaviors.
Patients living with chronic conditions such as cancer are recommended to adhere to long-term oral, anti-cancer
medication regimens in order to prevent disease progression or recurrence. However, persistent side effects
(e.g., fatigue, mood & sleep disturbance, vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes, arthralgia, vaginal dryness)
from oral medication regimens such as endocrine therapy (ET) for breast cancer interfere with optimal adherence
to the medication. Despite the benefits of ET, documented non-adherence rates to ET range from 47% to 73%.
Although there is a growing literature documenting the efficacy of MBSR on reducing the very same symptoms
that interfere with optimal adherence to ET in breast cancer, no study has investigated the utility of MBSR in
improving optimal adherence to life-saving oral medications via reductions in medication-related side effects and
improvement in HRQoL. We have a unique opportunity to evaluate the efficacy of interventions such as MBSR in
improving adherence to life-saving oral medications that have high rates of non-adherence. We propose to
establish the feasibility of a web-delivered, group-based MBSR program to improve adherence to oral
medication—a NCCIH high priority research topic. This is the critical first step to develop a pragmatic, scalable
and accessible web-based MBSR to increase adherence to ET. Our primary outcome will be feasibility (i.e.,
acceptability, demand, practicality, intended limited effects) of a group, web-based MBSR program. We will also
assess variability in medication adherence, ET side effects, and HRQoL as secondary outcomes as these factors
may explain the effect of MBSR on adherence to ET.
Our aims are 1) Develop an MBSR plus education for ET
side effects condition (MBSR + ET education) and an attention-matched health plus ET education condition
(health + ET education) for managing ET side effects, 2) finalize our protocol for objectively assessing adherence
to ET (i.e., electronic monitoring of ET & pharmaceutical record extraction), 3) conduct usability testing with a
sample of participants (N=15) on our web-delivered, group-based MBSR intervention platform to refine and
finalize the web-based platform, and 4) establish the feasibility of our MBSR intervention to improve medication
adherence project by implementing our study procedures and conditions (MBSR + ET education vs. health + ET
education). Breast cancer survivors (N = 80) will be randomized to the conditions (MBSR + ET education n = 40;
health + ET education n = 40). We hypothesize that the MBSR + ET education will have higher feasibility
outcomes (i.e., acceptability, demand, practicalit...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9841353
- **Project number:** 5R34AT009447-03
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** BETINA YANEZ
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $276,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-10 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9841353

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9841353, A Mindfulness-Based e-Health Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence among Breast Cancer Survivors (5R34AT009447-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9841353. Licensed CC0.

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