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- A pilot study to assess acceptability of the ASICA intervention to support regular total-skin-self-examination by melanoma survivors in rural Georgia and South Carolina.
Clinical Trial
A pilot study to assess acceptability of the ASICA intervention to support regular total-skin-self-examination by melanoma survivors in rural Georgia and South Carolina.
Regular total-skin-self-examination (TSSE) by melanoma survivors can lead to improved outcomes but evidence suggests it is underperformed. An app-based digital healthcare intervention, Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA), was developed in the United Kingdom (UK) and tested in a large pilot study. Use of ASICA for 12 months led to increased patient confidence and practice of TSSE and an improved quality of life for melanoma survivors. The current project goal is to establish whether a version of ASICA, modified and improved using data from the UK pilot study, is feasible and acceptable for use in rural areas of the southeastern United States from the perspective of melanoma survivors and their clinicians.
Eligibility Criteria
- Inclusion: >18 years of age Stage 0 to 2c melanoma diagnosed at least 24 months previously and with no previous recurrences. Patients must be willing to provide informed consent, complete the baseline ASICA questionnaire, use ASICA for 6 months, have their adherence to TSSE monitored at the Aberdeen site, provide quantitative data on any clinical activity resulting from their use of ASICA, and participate in qualitative interviews with the AU Dermatology team at the conclusion of the 6-month pilot period. Participants must be considered as coming from a rural setting by meeting the following criteria: Live in a town with a population of 5000 or less, OR Live in a non-metro county according to the USDA Economic Research Service (https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/rural-classifications/) OR Need to drive more than 30 minutes (approximately 30 miles) to a dermatology clinic. Exclusion: <18 years of age Melanoma diagnosed less than 24 months ago, with reoccurrences, or greater than Stage 2c severity, or individuals without a history of melanoma. Patients not willing to provide informed consent, complete the baseline ASICA questionnaire, use ASICA for 6 months, have their adherence to TSSE monitored at the Aberdeen site, provide quantitative data on any clinical activity resulting from their use of ASICA, or participate in qualitative interviews with the AU Dermatology team at the conclusion of the 6-month pilot period. Non-rural individual as described in the criteria above.