Self-Care and Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care in Dyads Receiving Oral Anticancer Treatment (Dyads-in-Cancer): A Protocol for an Observational Longitudinal Study

Introduction. The use of oral anticancer agents (OAAs) has increased in recent years. These medications have many benefits, including improved tolerability, adaptability, and decreased stress compared to intravenous treatments. However, studies have shown that there are potential challenges with these treatments, including poor adherence and limited multidisciplinary support. As a result, it is important to focus on self-care behaviours for managing OAA treatment from a dyadic perspective. However, self-care levels in this population and the contribution of informal caregivers to self-care have yet to be extensively described, along with their predictors and outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to describe a research protocol of a multicentre observational longitudinal study designed to investigate the self-care of patients with cancer taking OAAs and the caregivers’ contribution to this self-care, and to examine the self-care predictors and outcomes. Methods. This study will recruit patients with cancer undergoing OAA treatment and their informal caregivers. Data collection will include patient and caregiver sociodemographic factors, patient clinical information, patient self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care, variables at patient-, caregiver- and dyad-level that can predict self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care. We will also investigate whether self-care and caregiver contribution to self-care can predict important patient outcomes (e.g. emergency room access, rehospitalization, survival, quality of life) and/or caregiver outcomes (e.g. the positive aspects of caregiving). Data analyses will include descriptive statistics, regressions, ANOVAs, structural equation modelling, and dyadic analyses. Discussion. This research will enhance the understanding of self-care in patients with cancer taking OAA and caregivers’ contribution to self-care. It will provide insights on the factors that influence self-care and important outcomes. The findings of this study will inform future research and guide tailored interventions to improve patient self-care and caregiver support.