Insights About Dyadic Cancer Survivorship Interventions for Black Women and Their Caregivers: A Rapid Qualitative Analysis of Collaborator Perspectives

Abstract

Background Breast cancer patients and their informal caregivers often report unmet psychosocial, relational, and physical health needs. Dyadic interventions may improve patient and caregiver outcomes, but few have been integrated into clinical care or designed for Black breast cancer patients and their female caregivers. We used the Health Equity Implementation Framework to design for dissemination by identifying facilitators and barriers to implementing a dyadic survivorship intervention delivered via video teleconferencing (e.g., Zoom). Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 18 collaborators with roles at a comprehensive cancer center and community organizations to understand facilitators and barriers to implementing a dyadic intervention for Black breast cancer patients and their caregivers. We used rapid qualitative analysis (templated summaries synthesized in matrices) to conduct a directed content analysis. We identified patterns in responses to interview guide questions and developed cross-cutting themes. Results Collaborators’ roles fell into four domains: patient-facing mental health (33%), patient-facing physical health (28%), research/administration (28%), and cancer-focused community groups (11%). Participants were supportive of a dyadic intervention for Black women with breast cancer and female caregivers. Collaborators noted that psychosocial care at the cancer center was already being delivered via Zoom and saw benefits to including caregivers. Overarching themes include the need to address gaps in care (for caregivers, Black women, and long-term breast cancer survivors); the importance of representation in building trust and mitigating stigma; and the challenges within the healthcare system around providing care services to dyads. Conclusion Application of these findings can help address the challenges of implementing a dyadic survivorship intervention for Black women with breast cancer and their caregivers in clinical settings. Expanding models such as the Health Equity Implementation Framework to include caregivers may help focus dissemination and implementation efforts on both members of a dyad and improve outcomes for both.