Clinical trial · Interventional
Evaluation of Bibliotherapy by Students and Patients With Cancer
Bibliotherapy, Students in Medicine and Health Sciences Read to Patients With Cancer During Treatment, an Evaluation by Patients and Students.
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Research has demonstrated the positive effects of bibliotherapy (the use of reading in the treatment of patients), such as increased self-awareness, increased empathy, hope and decreased negativity. At Ghent University Hospital, 20 students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences were selected to be trained as readers by 'The Readers Collective', a Flemish Organization inspired by The Reader. Those students will read to patients with acute leukemia or to patients with a solid tumors in an advanced stage, using the "read aloud" method. Eight to ten reading sessions of approximately half an hour will be organized in a 1: 1 relationship between student and patient during a period of six months. The primary aim of study is to determine the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention by the patients as well as the students. Secondary aims are exploring the impact of the reading sessions on the professional development of the students and on the emotional well-being and quality of life of cancer patients. Assessment will be based upon questionnaires (as a basis for the in-depth interviews), diary notes, and in-depth interviews.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute Leukemia | Acute Leukemia | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.90 |
| Advanced Solid Tumor | Solid Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.80 |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bibliotherapy | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Bibliotherapy
- description
- Students will read to patients receiving active treatment using the "read aloud" method. This will be performed in a 1: 1 relationship for half an hour for 8-10 times during a period of six months.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Bibliotherapy
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Acceptability of the intervention
- timeFrame
- Interviews after six months of the first reading session
- description
- In-depth interview will be used to seek feedback on how well the reading session are received by the patients and the students
Secondary outcomes (6)
- measure
- Impact of the intervention
- timeFrame
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Patients Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of acute leukemia or advanced cancer of a solid tumor * Treated at an inpatient ward (for patients with leukemia) * Treated at inpatient ward ( for patients with solid tumor) Exclusion Criteria: * Patients under 18 years; * Patients who are not able to read or understand Dutch. Students: \- Student of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of Ghent University
References
Publications (4)
- BACKGROUNDMalibiran R, Tariman JD, Amer K. Bibliotherapy: Appraisal of Evidence for Patients Diagnosed With Cancer. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2018 Aug 1;22(4):377-380. doi: 10.1188/18.CJON.377-380. PMID 30035795
- BACKGROUNDDavis J. Enjoying and enduring: groups reading aloud for wellbeing. Lancet. 2009 Feb 28;373(9665):714-5. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60426-8. No abstract available. PMID 19263586
- RESULTKorner A, Roberts N, Steele RJ, Brosseau DC, Rosberger Z. A randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of a self-administered psycho-educational intervention for patients with cancer. Patient Educ Couns. 2019 Apr;102(4):735-741. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.12.002. Epub 2018 Dec 3. PMID 30545649
- RESULTBillington J, Farrington G, Lampropoulou S, Lingwood J, Jones A, Ledson J, McDonnell K, Duirs N, Humphreys AL. A comparative study of cognitive behavioural therapy and shared reading for chronic pain. Med Humanit. 2017 Sep;43(3):155-165. doi: 10.1136/medhum-2016-011047. Epub 2016 Dec 9. PMID 27941097