Tele-MAST
The Telehealth Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program (Tele-MAST)
What is this study about?
Being diagnosed with and treated for brain tumour can be a highly stressful experience. Many people find it difficult to understand their illness, feel uncertain and worried about the future.
Our past research on adjustment to brain tumour found that psychological support needs are often overlooked during and after treatment. In 2010 we developed the Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program, a 10-session psychological support program for people with brain tumour and their family members.
To date, this program has supported over 150 individuals and families in Queensland. We have now extended our program to people living around Australia, through telehealth delivery.
This research aims to explore people's preferences for and benefits of psychological support within the Telehealth Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program.
The Telehealth Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program may be undertaken by:
Adults with primary brain tumour (without a family member involved)
Adults with primary brain tumour AND family caregiver
Family caregivers (current or bereaved)
What are we doing?
The Telehealth Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program offers up to 10 sessions of psychological support delivered by an experienced psychologist using videoconferencing.
If you are eligible and agree to take part, you will be asked to complete an initial telephone assessment of your everyday support, mood, emotional well-being and quality of life at the following times:
Before the Program commences;
After the Program is completed;
3 months after the Program.
You will also be asked questions about your preferences and goals for the program (before) and what the benefits were for your health and well-being (after the program).
What do we expect to find?
By conducting this research, we want to find ways of improving the quality of psychological support provided to people with brain tumour and their family members. The results will help us adjust our program to offer our support program in more flexible way that is tailored to individuals’ preferences.
What are our next steps?
This research will help us to better understand the needs and preferences of people with brain tumour and their families and to implement the Telehealth Making Sense of Brain Tumour Program into practice.
Our long-term goal is for this program to be available to all people diagnosed with primary brain tumour and their families across Australia.
For more information about this study
BRAINS Tele-MAST
We have completed recruitment and are currently preparing publications resulting from this work.
For more information visit the Tele-MAST website