Leads: Eleah Stringer

The study team includes a group of health technology researchers and developers at UVic, a motivated group of BC Cancer oncologists and a HNC surgeon from Vancouver Coastal Health.

The series of HANC APP studies have been funded by the BC Cancer Foundation, the BC Support Unit, the Health Information Science faculty at the University of Victoria.

This study aims to design, build and test an innovative app (the HANC APP) to better meet information needs and improve care to patients with HNC. Survivors of HNC will be involved through the entire design process and its usefulness will be tested with patients and oncologists. We aim to make cancer information accessible so everyone, regardless of health literacy levels, can actively engage in planning their cancer care.

Study Background & Rationale:

Treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) can include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or immunotherapy which may cause side effects (e.g. difficulty chewing, swallowing, talking) that can last a lifetime, impacting quality of life. When provided options, it can be hard for patients to pick a treatment plan if they don’t fully understand the options available and/or possible side effects.
An online application (app) can use pictures and videos to help show patients what to expect through treatment, and can be accessed on phones or iPads. Through a series of interviews, survivors of HNC have told us that an app, like this, used with their oncologist would have lowered stress, helped them ask better questions and pick a treatment that best matches their health goals. Research shows that apps offer a cost-effective communication tool that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient and their supports.
 

Objectives:

Our research questions are: 

 

1

How useful will patients find a decision aid for helping understand treatment options and risk?

 

2

 Will co-design involving patients result in a decision aid that will lead to patient satisfaction in HNC?

 

Methods:

The HANC APP will be developed through a method that centers patients in the design process. This involves a series of workshops where survivors of HNC will work with the researchers to arrive at possible designs for the HANC APP that will then be mocked up and presented to them for feedback. Once the design is decided on, the HANC APP will be tested in the cancer clinic with patients and the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

 

Key Message:

The use of decision aids, such as the HANC APP, have been shown to better inform and increase patients’ knowledge, accuracy of risk perception, and congruency between informed values and care choices allowing them to take part in active decision-making, compared to usual care. By co-designing the HANC APP with survivors of HNC and testing its usefulness with patients and oncologists, our team aims to provide a tool that enhances patient-centered care and improves the patient experience at BC Cancer.

 

Video:

Information Needs of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer and Their Supports: A Scoping Review

Posters:

Related Publications:

Learn More

If you are a patient who recently completed treatment at BC Cancer for head and neck cancer, you may be eligible to participate. For more information, please contact Eleah Stringer, Research Lead eleah.stringer@bccancer.bc.ca

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