Feasibility, usability, and acceptability of personalized web-based assessment of social network and daily social support interactions over time

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of implementing a web-based method for collecting social network and longitudinal daily interaction data from cancer survivors and their caregivers.

Methods: Young adult and sexual/gender minority cancer survivors and their informal caregivers were recruited as dyads. Feasibility data, including enrollment and retention, were captured. Individual social network data were collected at baseline and used to individualize daily electronically delivered surveys assessing characteristics of daily social support-related interactions with identified network members for 14 days. Follow-up questionnaires assessing usability and exit interviews assessing acceptability were completed at the end of the 2-week study period.

Results: Fourteen survivor-caregiver dyads (28 individual participants) were enrolled and completed all baseline and final measures. Participants completed 85.2% of daily diary reports and reported excellent usability ratings. Acceptability was also high. In qualitative interviews, participants reported enjoying the daily reflection on social support facilitated by our methods.

Conclusions: Our method has been shown to be highly feasible, usable, and acceptable.

Implications for cancer survivors: Developing better data collection tools can lead to better understanding of the social support cancer survivors and their caregivers receive, and how the social network structure facilitates or creates barriers to accessing this support.

Keywords: Young adult; Sexual and gender minorities; Feasibility studies; Cancer survivors; Caregivers; Social support.