OPTIMAL Project
Promoting Treatment Adherence in Childhood and Adolescent Cancer
Scientific evidence suggests that many adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) do not adhere to their prescribed medication regimens. Such nonadherence may have undesirable clinical and scientific consequences; not only can it increase the risk of relapse, but it can also reduce the validity of data for clinical trials of medication treatment.
There is little scientific data concerning the efficacy of psychological interventions designed to limit the prevalence and effect of nonadherence to ALL / LBL treatment. Therefore, this study will use a randomized clinical trial (RCT) with children and adolescents diagnosed with ALL / LBL to evaluate a family-centered, problem-solving intervention (FPST) plan to promote adherence to oral medication treatment. This intervention plan will be compared with current psychological care. We anticipate that the proposed study will identify effective strategies to promote adherence among children and adolescents with ALL / LBL, and that our findings may potentially lead to improved medical outcomes for these children and adolescents.
The proposed intervention model
The proposed intervention model is novel in that it integrates three key components derived from theory and research on pediatric illness and treatment adherence. The components are:
- Training in collaborative problem solving and effective parent-child / adolescent communication, intended to reduce barriers that interfere with adherence to oral medication treatment
- Promotion of the child’s or adolescent's active participation in, and motivation for, the management of ALL / LBL therapy
- Emphasis on parental support and child / adolescent adherence to treatment that is consistent with the developmental needs of the child or adolescent.
Current Progress
We are in the process of collecting data for this study. We are actively recruiting new participants and are working with participants in various phases, from baseline to 15 months. Several families have completed the study.
