The DIAdIC project
"DIAdIC" is the name for a research project that's looking into ways to help people with advanced cancer and the family members who take care of them. This project is supported by the European Union. When someone is diagnosed with advanced cancer, it not only affects the person with the illness but also the family member who is taking care of them. Getting the right emotional and educational support can really make a positive impact on the lives of both the person with cancer and their family caregiver. The goal of this international project is to gather evidence on how well these kinds of support programs work in different European countries. The hope is that by studying this, we can find better ways to improve the quality of life for both the person with cancer and their family caregiver.
How did the idea for DIAdIC start?
A few experts in palliative care, led by Professor Peter Hudson from Australia and Professor Joachim Cohen from Belgium, saw a chance through the EU Horizon 2020 program to suggest a plan aimed at making life better for people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers. They're building on the research done by Professor Laurel Northouse and her team at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, who came up with the original FOCUS program. Now, for FOCUS+ and iFOCUS, they have adjusted elements of the original FOCUS program a bit to make sure these programs are more suitable for the European population and the healthcare settings in six specific countries.
One big advantage of the DIAdIC project is that it treats the patient and caregiver as a team. It provides them with personalized support that works alongside the regular professional care. In situations where there's not a lot of resources for healthcare, like limited time from doctors and nurses, there's only so much emotional and educational support they can give. By supporting the patient and caregiver together at home, we hope to improve the well-being of families dealing with cancer.
- DIAdIC Coordinator, Prof. Joachim Cohen
