Interactive Tool Can Help Educate Cancer Patients on Their Options

Breast cancer patients who used an interactive website were more informed about options and felt better prepared to make a treatment choice.

7:00 AM

Author | Nicole Fawcett

Breast cancer patients face complex decisions about their treatment.

MORE FROM THE LAB: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

"Knowledge is a key component of decision-making, and yet it's consistently low even among patients who have received treatment. We need better tools to make these decisions more informed," says Sarah T. Hawley, Ph.D., MPH, professor of internal medicine at Michigan Medicine.

Hawley and colleagues from the Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center developed an interactive online tool to help patients understand their treatment options.

Compared with patients using a static informational website, those using the interactive tool had higher knowledge and felt more prepared to make a treatment decision, according to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Researchers enrolled 537 patients with newly diagnosed early stage breast cancer from multiple practices in four states. Patients were randomized to view a tailored, interactive decision tool called iCanDecide or to view similar information on a static website.

They were then surveyed about five weeks later, after making a treatment decision. In total, 496 completed the survey.

Overall, 61 percent of patients who used the interactive tool reported a high knowledge of treatment options, compared with 42 percent of patients who viewed the static material. Patients who used the interactive tool were also more likely to say they felt prepared to make a treatment decision, 50 percent, compared with 33 percent of patients viewing static material.

The interactive site was designed to walk people systematically through key facts about breast cancer surgery, such as how often cancer recurs and the likelihood of needing additional surgery. A second module on the website helped patients understand options about systemic treatment, such as chemotherapy. The paper assesses only the surgery module.

SEE ALSO: More Complications, Less Satisfaction in Breast Cancer Patients Who Have Radiation and Implants

"Instead of throwing the information on the website and hoping patients would figure it out, we gave them the bullet-point fact, asked a question to see if they understood, and then allowed them to drill down and look at more detailed information. They couldn't just bounce around. They had to go through it in a linear fashion," Hawley says.

The tool also assessed patients' values, taking them through a series of hypothetical scenarios. In the end, each patient had a customized bar graph that showed how her preferences matched to treatments. For example, if the patient valued keeping her natural breast, the lumpectomy bar would be higher. Patients could interact with the figure to learn more.

A similar number of patients from both groups reported making a choice in line with their values. Hawley stresses that assessing a patient's values is key.

"The values clarification is important. If you don't combine the knowledge and the values, you get people making values-based choices that may not be fully informed," Hawley says.

Researchers plan to further refine the timing of when to deliver decision tools and assess patient values.

Read the research papers about cancer and decision-making published by members of Cansort, the Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes Research Team.


More Articles About: Health Tech Breast cancer Cancer: Cancer Types
Health Lab word mark overlaying blue cells
Health Lab

Explore a variety of healthcare news & stories by visiting the Health Lab home page for more articles.

Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories
Health Lab
Study Captures the Importance of Screening Mammography for Women with Breast Reconstructions
An innovative, 15-year study reveals low rates of breast cancer recurrence in patients with reconstructed breast tissue, chest walls or lymph nodes.
Health Lab
Decision Support Tool Boosts Genetic Testing Knowledge in Breast Cancer Patients
Awareness of genetic testing is low, a new study finds. But an interactive website can help newly diagnosed patients make informed decisions about the practice.
Health Lab
Trusted ‘Ally’: App Guides Breast Cancer Patients Through Treatment
See how Michigan Medicine's Breast Cancer Ally smart phone app provides individualized information, resources and supportive tools to breast cancer patients.
cancer cell blue yellow
Health Lab
Less chemoradiation is possible for some cancer patients
Some oropharynx cancer patients may qualify for less radiation treatments, according to a new study from experts at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center.
Animated microscopic image of the glioblastoma's tumor microenvironment
Health Lab
New model of key brain tumor feature could help scientists understand how to develop new treatments
Model shows how oncostreams form and behave in brain tumors – and how to inhibit them
cancer cell blue yellow
Health Lab
Targeted drug shows promising ability in treating rare head and neck cancers
Experts at Rogel Cancer Center develop and study the impact of a new drug for salivary gland cancers