Peer support for unpaid cancer caregivers, caring for individuals with advanced cancer in regional, rural, and remote areas: An Exploratory Mixed-Method Study.

Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Project ID: ETH2025-0803

Description

You are invited to take part in a survey of this research project, Peer Support for Unpaid Cancer Caregivers, caring for Individuals with Advanced Cancer in Regional, Rural, and Remote Areas: An Exploratory Mixed-Method Study. This is because you are an unpaid cancer caregiver (UCC) living in regional, rural and remote (RRR) areas of the Darling Downs region. The research project aims to identify any unmet needs of UCCs and how the presence/ absence of peer support impacts their emotional and physical well-being to develop a peer support model tailored to UCCs residing in RRR areas. This Participant Information Sheet (PIS)  tells you about the research. The findings from this project will also fill gaps in the literature, where there is limited research on how peer support can improve the overall well-being of UCCs by addressing their unique needs. The outcomes will inform healthcare professionals and policymakers, enhancing support services for UCCs in RRR areas. This research is conducted by Mehrnaz Keramatikerman as a part of her doctoral studies through the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ).

Participation:

Your participation will involve the completion of an online questionnaire that will take approximately 20 minutes of your time.

The questionnaire includes questions about caregiving needs, emotional and physical well-being, and perceived social support which is accessible via QR code or a direct electronic link.

Your participation in the survey is entirely voluntary, and you can withdraw from the study at any time before submission. Once you submit your responses will be anonymised and cannot be withdrawn. At the end of the survey, you will be asked if you would like to be contacted for a follow-up interview within the following months, and if so, your email address will be required.

Your decision to participate or withdraw will not impact your relationship with UniSQ or any associated healthcare organisations.

Expected benefit:

Upon completing the survey, you may choose to enter a prize draw. Twenty (20) participants will be randomly selected to receive a $10 GiftPay e-gift card. The draw will occur after the survey closes to ensure fairness for all participants. If you are selected, you will receive your $10 e-gift card via email.

In participating in the survey, some questions might be emotionally sensitive since they are related to your caregiving experiences to your loved ones with cancer. If you feel emotional discomfort, you can contact NewAccess, a free mental health program developed by Beyond Blue, Lifeline Australia or Beyond Blue, a Mental Health and Well-being support organisation. The contact details are as follows:

NewAccess: 1300 971 309

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Privacy and confidentiality:

All the responses will remain confidential and anonymous. The study will not collect any identifying details (with the exception of your email address for the purposes of an interview if chosen, and draw prize) from participants and de-identified data will be obtained for analysis and reporting. The data from the survey will be securely stored at UniSQ’s Research Data Repository (ReDBank) for 5 years, after which it will be permanently deleted. If you wish to have a summary of findings once the mixed-method study is completed. You can contact, student investigator, Mehrnaz Keramatikerman, through email to send you the final findings of the study. Any data collected as a part of this project will be stored securely, as per the University of Southern Queensland’s Research Data and Primary Materials Management Procedure.

Questions:

Please refer to the Research team contact details at the top of the form to have any questions answered or to request further information about this project.

Concerns or complaints:

If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of the project, you may contact the University of Southern Queensland, Manager of Research Integrity and Ethics on +61 7 4687 5703 or email researchintegrity@unisq.edu.au. The Manager of Research Integrity and Ethics is not connected with the research project and can address your concern in an unbiased manner. Thank you for taking the time to help with this research project. Please keep this document for your information

Research team contact details: