Efficacy of a Training Program for Long-Term Disease-Free Cancer Survivors as Health Partners: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Korea

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> To determine whether the Health Partner Program is effective in training long-term cancersurvivors to be health coaches. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: We randomly assigned cancer survivors who were selectedthrough a rigorous screening process to either the Health Partner Program or the waiting-list control group. Theprogram consisted of 8 weeks of training in health management, leadership, and coaching. At baseline, 8, and 16weeks, we measured primary outcomes using the Seven Habit Profile (SHP), the Korean Leadership CoachingCompetency Inventory (KCCI), Ed Diner’s Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Posttraumatic Growthinventory (PTGI) and secondary outcomes using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Impactof Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) short form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36). <br/><b>Results</b>: We recruited 70 subjects and randomly assigned 34 to the intervention group. The Sharpen the Sawhabit of the SHP increased significantly more in intervention group than in the control group (p = 0.049), as didmost PTGI factors. The intervention group also showed a significantly greater enhancement of vitality (p = 0.015)and mental health (p = 0.049) SF-36 scores but no improvement in KCCI, SWLS, HADS, or IES-R scores. Theintervention group also showed a greater clinically meaningful improvement in the “Think Win-Win” of SHP(p = 0.043) and in the personal strength score (p = 0.025) and total score (p = 0.015) of the PTGI. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>:Long-term cancer survivors can benefit from the Health Partner Program to become health coaches.