JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Asian Americans with metastatic cancer are an understudied population. The DAWN (Describing Asian American Well-being & Needs in cancer) Study was designed to understand the supportive care needs of Chinese-, Vietnamese-, and Korean-heritage patients with metastatic cancer.

Objective:

To present the DAWN Study protocol involving a primarily qualitative, convergent, mixed methods study from multiple perspectives (patients/survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals).

Methods:

Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean Americans diagnosed with solid-tumor metastatic cancer and their caregivers were recruited nationwide through various means (cancer registries, community outreach newsletters, newspapers, radio advertisements, etc.). Potentially eligible individuals were screened and consented via online survey or phone interview. The survey and interview for patients/survivors and caregivers were provided in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean, and asked about factors related to facing metastatic cancer including quality of life, cultural values, coping, and cancer-related symptoms. Community-based organizations assisted in recruiting participants, developing and translating study materials into Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, and helped conduct interviews in Asian languages. Healthcare professionals who have experience working with CVK-heritage patients/survivors with metastatic solid cancer were recruited via referrals from the DAWN Study community advisory board and interviewed to understand unmet supportive care needs.

Results:

Recruitment began in November 2020; data collection was completed in October 2022. A total of 66 patients/survivors,13 caregivers, and 15 healthcare professionals completed all portions of the study. We expect to complete data management by December 2023 and submit results for patients/survivors and caregivers to publication outlets in 2024.

Conclusions:

The findings from this study will be used to describe and understand the supportive care needs of CVK-heritage patients/survivors with metastatic cancer and be applied to develop culturally appropriate psychosocial interventions that target known predictors of unmet supportive care needs in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean Americans with metastatic cancer.