Exploring self-management by cancer patients and their caregivers
High-quality cancer care in Canada increasingly relies on informal caregiving by family or friends. One in 10 Canadians is or has been a caregiver. However, these caregivers’ needs are often not sufficiently met due to inadequate resources. In particular, individuals from diverse cultures or ethnic backgrounds often lack access to the support services they need.
As Canada Research Chair in Self-care and Illness Self-management Support Interventions, Sylvie Lambert addresses these gaps in care by evaluating innovative delivery models to improve access by patients with cancer and their caregivers to the support they need. This research will also examine specific barriers to and solutions for expanding self-management to vulnerable users, and will identify the best ways to measure the success of these strategies.
Keeping in mind cost and long-term sustainability, Lambert is developing and evaluating new web-based self-management interventions. She will test care management directed solely by patients and caregivers as well as care practices offering varying degrees of guidance from health care professionals.
By exploring the specific needs of patients from diverse cultures or ethnic backgrounds and those of their caregivers, Lambert also aims to identify the best ways to deliver self-management support interventions to these populations.
Lambert’s research will evaluate measures that capture the impact of self-management support. Her findings will help clinicians and researchers assess the efficacy of these interventions.
Through her research, Lambert addresses a significant challenge in Canada’s health care system—responding to the support needs and improving the health and well-being of a growing population of caregivers.