Validating the content of a brief informational intervention to empower patients and spouses facing breast cancer: perspectives of both couple members Marie-Claude Blais & Elizabeth Maunsell & Sophie Grenier & Sophie Lauzier & Michel Dorval & Sylvie Pelletier & Stéphane Guay & André Robidoux & Louise Provencher Received: 1 October 2013 /Accepted: 30 March 2014 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 Abstract Purpose The study objectives were to identify key informa- tion components that would be the basic content of a brief informational intervention, developed from a population per- spective, to empower individual couple members facing breast cancer and to validate the relevance and acceptability of these components. Methods A review of information relevant to couples facing cancer presented in internet sites and documents of national cancer organizations was made to identify information com- ponents to include in a brief informational intervention. These information components were framed as messages, that is, very brief sentences or tips. To validate the relevance and acceptability of these messages, six focus groups were conducted in Quebec City and Montreal among women who had had breast cancer and their spouses. Reactions to the messages were synthesized by analyzing the verbatim transcripts. Results A total of 70 individuals (35 women with an average of 14 months since diagnosis and 35 spouses) participated in the groups. The content of almost all messages was seen as relevant, although nuances and improvements were discussed. However, the message format provoked irritation and will need improvement. Conclusions Findings provide validation of the relevance, from the viewpoint of women and their spouses, of the mes- sage content to be part of a brief informational intervention intended to empower couples as they cope with breast cancer. M.<C. Blais Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Canada M.<C. Blais : E. Maunsell : M. Dorval : L. Provencher Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec (Axe Oncologie), Quebec, Canada M.<C. Blais : S. Grenier CHU de Québec, Quebec, Canada S. Lauzier Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec (Axe Santé des populations et pratiques optimales en santé), Quebec, Canada E. Maunsell : S. Lauzier : M. Dorval : S. Pelletier : L. Provencher Centre des maladies du sein Deschênes-Fabia, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Quebec, Canada E. Maunsell Département de Médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada S. Lauzier : M. Dorval Faculté de pharmacie, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada S. Lauzier Chair on adherence to treatments, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada S. Guay École de criminologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada A. Robidoux Centre intégré du cancer du sein, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada E. Maunsell (*) Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Centre des maladies du sein Deschênes-Fabia, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, 1050 chemin Ste-Foy, Quebec, QC, Canada G1S 4L8 e-mail: Elizabeth.maunsell@uresp.ulaval.ca J Cancer Surviv DOI 10.1007/s11764-014-0359-1