Laying the Foundation for iCANmeditate : A mixed methods study protocol for understanding patient and oncologist perspectives on meditation

Abstract Background People with cancer experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety, including psychological or physical. In recent years, digitally delivered complimentary therapies, such as meditation, have gained attention in cancer research and advocacy communities for improving quality of life. However, most digital meditation resources are commercially available and are not tailored to the unique needs of cancer patients (addressing fears of recurrence). As such, this study lays the foundation to co-design a publicly available digital meditation program called iCANmeditate that contains cancer-specific meditation content.

Aims: To understand: (1) cancer patients’ perceptions and practices of meditation, as well as their needs in addressing the stress that accompanies their cancer diagnosis and (2) current knowledge of meditation and prescribing trends amongst oncologists in Canada. Methods and analysis A mixed-methods design comprised of online patient and oncologist surveys and a series of patient focus groups will be used. Survey data analysis will use multivariate logistic regressions to examine predictors of: (1) interest in using a meditation app among patients and (2) prescribing meditation among oncologists. Patient focus groups will gather insights about the contexts of daily living where meditation would be most beneficial for people with cancer; this data will be analyzed thematically.

Discussion: The results of this study will inform iterative co-design workshops with cancer patients to build the digital meditation program iCANmeditate ; focus group results will be used to develop vignettes or “personas” that will supply the initial stimulus material for the iterative co-design workshops. Once the program has been finalized in partnership with cancer patient participants, a usability and pilot study will follow to test the functionality and efficacy of the tool. Results from the oncologist survey will form the basis of knowledge mobilization efforts to facilitate clinical buy-in and awareness of the benefits of meditation to cancer patients.