Adapting and usability testing of an eLearning resource to enhance healthcare professional provision of sexual support across cancer care

OBJECTIVES: To adapt the theory-driven and positively evaluated Maximising Sexual Wellbeing| Prostate Cancer (MSW|PC) eLearning resource to an eLearning resource suitable for health professionals (HPs) working with mixed cancer populations, followed by usability and acceptability testing. METHODS: Guided by Person-Based Approach (PBA) and Biopsychosocial Model, the MSW|PC was adapted by combining evidence from the literature, an expert group (n = 27: patients, partners, and HPs working in cancer care) and the research team. New content was developed relevant for a mixed cancer population. The Maximising Sexual Wellbeing| Cancer Care (MSW|CC) eLearning prototype was usability tested and modified with HPs using “think aloud” interviews (n = 18). RESULTS: Many identified sexual challenges were common across cancer populations, with additional information required for breast, colorectal, gynaecological, head and neck, and prostate cancers. During the testing phase, navigational difficulties were identified and resolved. HPs reported the MSW|CC as engaging, informative, and relevant with helpful communication and signposting tools to support practice. CONCLUSION: This systematic and iterative PBA yielded important insights to enhance the content and usability of MSW|CC. This novel resource provides HPs working across cancer care with tools to potentially address the gap in knowledge and skills and positively impact future sexual healthcare provision across cancer care. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-022-06798-w

Factors Influencing the Provision of Healthcare Professional-Led Sexual Support to Patients with Cancer and Their Partners: An Integrative Review of Studies from 2017 to 2022

IntroductionPatients with cancer and partners often face difficult and enduring sexual concerns. Reviews up to 2017 identified that the provision of a healthcare professional (HP)-led sexual support was not routine practice. Since 2017, there has been a burgeoning growth in research and evidenced-based interventions targeting HP’s sexual support provision in cancer care. Therefore, this review presents a synthesis of HP-led sexual support and factors impacting provision in cancer care from 2017 to 2022 to ascertain if sexual support in clinical practice has changed.MethodsUsing an integrative review design, searches were performed on five electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PubMed and PsycInfo), Google Scholar and manual review of reference lists from 2017 to 2022. Data extracted from studies meeting predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria was synthesised using thematic analysis. Papers were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.ResultsFrom the twelve empirical studies included, three themes were identified: (1) Theory–practice gap: HP’s recognition of the need to provide sexual support to patients with cancer and partners but current provision is lacking, (2) professional and organisational barriers to HPs providing sexual support for patients with cancer and (3) equipping HPs and enabling patients to discuss sexual challenges in cancer care could enhance delivery of sexual support.ConclusionProvision of HP-led sexual support in cancer care is still not routine practice and when provided is considered by HPs as sub-optimal.Policy ImplicationsProviding HPs with education, supportive resources and referral pathways could enhance the provision of sexual support in cancer care

Psychometric properties of the Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (SABS-C8) for health professionals in cancer care settings

BackgroundCancer and associated treatment can have a significant and detrimental impact on a person’s sexual wellbeing. Sexual attitudes and beliefs of healthcare professionals (HPs) working in cancer care settings can affect the support provided to help patients and partners to manage these concerns. This study evaluated psychometric properties of the Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (SABS-C8) adapted for use in cancer care settings.MethodsAdaptation of original SABS was informed by evidence reviews and an expert panel of researchers. The 12-item SABS was completed by HPs working in cancer care (n = 391) prior to completing an eLearning intervention aimed at promoting provision of sexual support to patients and partners. Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted, reliability and validity of the scale were also explored.ResultsEFA showed potential for a three-factor model, with CFA indicating a better model fit (CMIN/DF < 3; GFI > .9; CFI > .9 and < RMSEA < .08) for 8 of the SABS-C items, lending support for a unidimensional model, with moderately acceptable reliability of.69. The 8-item scale was also able to discriminate between known groups with lower attitudinal barriers to providing sexual support apparent in HPs with over 12 years of experience, in nurses compared with other HPs, and in those with previous sexual wellbeing education (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe SABS-C8 is a brief scale with acceptable reliability that can be used to assess attitudinal barriers to sexual support and help to identify HPs learning needs around providing sexual support in cancer care

Effects of a Brief E-Learning Resource on Sexual Attitudes and Beliefs of Healthcare Professionals Working in Prostate Cancer Care: A Pilot Study

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Sexual issues and treatment side effects are not routinely discussed with men receiving treatment for prostate cancer, and support to address these concerns is not consistent across settings. This study evaluates a brief e-learning resource designed to improve sexual wellbeing support and examine its effects on healthcare professionals’ sexual attitudes and beliefs. Healthcare professionals (n = 44) completed an online questionnaire at baseline which included a modified 12-item sexual attitudes and beliefs survey (SABS). Follow-up questionnaires were completed immediately after the e-learning and at 4 weeks. Data were analysed using one-way, repeat measures ANOVAs to assess change in attitudes and beliefs over time. Significant improvements were observed at follow-up for a number of survey statements including ‘knowledge and understanding’, ‘confidence in discussing sexual wellbeing’ and the extent to which participants felt ‘equipped with the language to initiate conversations’. The resource was seen as concise, relevant to practice and as providing useful information on potential side effects of treatment. In brief, e-learning has potential to address barriers to sexual wellbeing communication and promote delivery of support for prostate cancer survivors. Practical methods and resources should be included with these interventions to support implementation of learning and long-term changes in clinical behaviour.Peer reviewe

Transient field g factor and mean-life measurements with a rare isotope beam of 126Sn

Background: The g factors and lifetimes of the 21+ states in the stable, proton-rich Sn isotopes have been measured, but there is scant information on neutron-rich Sn isotopes. Purpose: Measurement of the g factor and the lifetime of the 21+ state at 1.141 MeV in neutron-rich 126Sn (T1/2=2. 3×105y). Method: Coulomb excitation in inverse kinematics together with the transient field and the Doppler shift attenuation techniques were applied to a radioactive beam of 126Sn at the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility. Results: g(21+)=-0.25(21) and τ(21+)=1.5(2) ps were obtained. Conclusions: The data are compared to large-scale shell-model and quasiparticle random-phase calculations. Neutrons in the h11/2 and d3/2 orbitals play an important role in the structure of the 21+ state of 126Sn. Challenges, limitations, and implications for such experiments at future rare isotope beam facilities are discussed

Managing toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: consensus recommendations from the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Toxicity Management Working Group.

Cancer immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of cancer. However, increasing use of immune-based therapies, including the widely used class of agents known as immune checkpoint inhibitors, has exposed a discrete group of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Many of these are driven by the same immunologic mechanisms responsible for the drugs\u27 therapeutic effects, namely blockade of inhibitory mechanisms that suppress the immune system and protect body tissues from an unconstrained acute or chronic immune response. Skin, gut, endocrine, lung and musculoskeletal irAEs are relatively common, whereas cardiovascular, hematologic, renal, neurologic and ophthalmologic irAEs occur much less frequently. The majority of irAEs are mild to moderate in severity; however, serious and occasionally life-threatening irAEs are reported in the literature, and treatment-related deaths occur in up to 2% of patients, varying by ICI. Immunotherapy-related irAEs typically have a delayed onset and prolonged duration compared to adverse events from chemotherapy, and effective management depends on early recognition and prompt intervention with immune suppression and/or immunomodulatory strategies. There is an urgent need for multidisciplinary guidance reflecting broad-based perspectives on how to recognize, report and manage organ-specific toxicities until evidence-based data are available to inform clinical decision-making. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) established a multidisciplinary Toxicity Management Working Group, which met for a full-day workshop to develop recommendations to standardize management of irAEs. Here we present their consensus recommendations on managing toxicities associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy