Mindfulness Training Supports Quality of Life and Advance Care Planning in Adults With Metastatic Cancer and Their Caregivers: Results of a Pilot Study.
Shelley A Johns, Kathleen Beck-Coon, Patrick V Stutz and 10 others
PMID 31378080WHAT IT FOUND
Thirteen advanced cancer patients and their caregivers completed a six-week mindfulness program.
Most patients became more ready to discuss end-of-life care and reported improved mood and quality of life, but this single-arm pilot cannot prove the training caused these changes.
Key findings
01Ninety percent of patients progressed at least one stage of readiness to complete a Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment form, and all patients who had not already discussed goals of care with their oncologist progressed at least two stages of readiness for that conversation.
02One month after the intervention, patients reported large, statistically significant improvements in depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and quality of life, while caregivers reported maintained improvements in quality of life and family communication.
03The study used a single-arm design, which limits the ability to conclude that improved outcomes were due to the mindfulness training rather than other factors like the passage of time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a single-arm design with no control group, so it is impossible to determine if the changes were caused by the mindfulness training or other factors such as the passage of time. The sample size was very small (13 dyads), resulting in wide confidence intervals and low statistical power. Participants were predominantly English-speaking, Caucasian, and had comfortable incomes, limiting generalizability to other populations. Participants had low baseline distress levels, which may have limited the potential for observed improvement in these symptoms.
Declared interests
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that mindfulness training caused the improvements in advance care planning or quality of life. Because this was a single-arm pilot with no control group and a very small sample, these changes could have resulted from the natural course of the disease, the passage of time, or other unmeasured factors.