THE DIALOGUE STUDY: USING DIGITAL HEALTH TO IMPROVE CARE FOR FAMILIES WITH PREDISPOSITION TO HEREDITARY CANCER

PI: Prof. Maria Katapodi, University of Basel

Co-PIs:
Dr. Nicole Bürki – University Hospital Basel
Dr. Manuela Rabaglio – University Hospital Bern
Dr. Sung-Won Kim – St. Mary’s Hospital
Seoul, Dr. Pierre Olivier Chappuis – University Hospital Geneva
Dr. Maria Caiata Zufferey – SUPSI Manno
Prof. Florina Ciorba – University of Basel

Partners:
Regional Hospital Lugano, Jura Hospital Delémont, University of Bern, Yonsei University Seoul, Korean National Cancer Center Seoul, Chungnam National University Daejeon, Cantonal Hospital Bellinzona

Funding agencies: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) and National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Korea

Duration: 01.11.2019-31.10.2022

Project Summary:
Given the lack of well-developed digital health tools to assist individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer effectively communicate genetic information to their relatives, the study aims to develop a modern, scalable, mobile-friendly digital health solution for Swiss and Korean HBOC families. The digital health solution will be based on the Family Gene Toolkit (FGT), a web-based intervention designed to enhance the communication of genetic test results within HBOC families that has been successfully tested for acceptability, usability, and participant satisfaction. The study will also expand an existing research infrastructure developed in Switzerland, to enable future collaborative projects between Switzerland and Korea in this field.

The specific aims of this project are:

  1. Develop a digital health solution to support the communication of cancer predisposition among HBOC families, based on linguistic and cultural adaptation methods of the Family Gene Toolkit for the Swiss and Korean population

  2. Develop the K-CASCADE research infrastructure in Korea by expanding an existing research infrastructure developed by the CASCADE Consortium in Switzerland

  3. Evaluate the efficacy of the aforementioned digital solution on psychological distress and communication of genetic test results, as well as knowledge of cancer genetics, coping, decision making, and quality of life

  4. Explore the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the aforementioned digital solution.