Supporting health and wellness of people diagnosed with breast cancer: National implementation of the EMPOWER-SMS text message program into community-based services

Summary

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This study aims to evaluate the implementation and adaptation of a text message program called EMPOWER-SMS into Breast Cancer Network Australia’s services to support the health and wellness of people diagnosed with breast cancer across Australia.

Supervisor

Dr Anna Singleton.

Research location

The Daffodil Centre

Synopsis

The EMPOWER-SMS program was co-designed with extensive input from people diagnosed with breast cancer, health care professionals and researchers. It was designed to deliver advice about staying well and weblinks to free resources. EMPOWER-SMS has been pilot tested in a clinical trial and a community-based implementation study, which involved more than 1000 people with a breast cancer diagnosis from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. Participants found EMPOWER-SMS to be useful, acceptable, and motivating for health management.

As an exciting next step, EMPOWER-SMS will be integrated into Breast Cancer Network Australia’s (BCNA) helpline services to deliver accessible support to priority populations, including people in regional, rural, and remote locations. In addition, EMPOWER-SMS will be adapted for specific priority population groups such as First Nations people and people with metastatic breast cancer. For this project, you will lead a mixed-methods evaluation of this implementation. Key tasks you will be responsible for include:

Determining how EMPOWER-SMS can be implemented as ‘business as usual’ into BCNA’s helpline services for people from regional, rural and remote locations; this will include using implementation science frameworks to identify barriers and enablers to implementation, and forming strategies to overcome barriers and/or leverage enablers.
Understanding the preferences of priority populations such as First Nations and those with metastatic breast cancer to adapt EMPOWER-SMS to fit their needs. You’ll use adaptation frameworks, focus groups, surveys and feasibility testing.

Additional information

You will be supported to apply for a PhD scholarship. To apply for this opportunity, you will:

be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen
be committed to undertaking research into the field of cancer survivorship
hold an honours degree (first class) or equivalent in psychology, medical science, nursing, public health, allied health or a related area
First Nations people are encouraged to apply

Research location: Camperdown campus (Moore College) and/or virtual at the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW. Working arrangements are flexible.

Lead Suoervisor: Dr Anna Singleton
Co-supervisors: Dr Andrea Smith and A/Prof Ben Smith

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3556