The health information technology preferences and perceptions of newly diagnosed patients with cancer

BACKGROUND & GOALS

Patients with new cancer diagnoses have unique needs. In this study, we explored the technological needs and preferences of new cancer patients and the challenges to technology use among these patients.

METHODS

We used qualitative data from semi-structured interviews to identify the new cancer patients' technology preferences. Interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the technology perceptions of new cancer patients, their technology needs, and the challenges of technology.

RESULTS

Most of the patients preferred mhealth technologies over other types of technologies to be used in their care management. The primary needs related to potential features in these technologies include access to information just in time, convenience, access to home care, self-management, privacy, interaction, and personalization. Patients also reported challenges of current technologies they utilized, including usability, impersonality, interoperability, and cost-effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

Addressing patients' needs to increase uptake and efficient use of technologies in cancer care is critical. Growing clinical and consumer informatics technologies can potentially help cancer management if designed by employing user-centered approaches.

Accessibility and Barriers to Oncology Appointments at 40 National Cancer Institute–Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers: Results of a Mystery Shopper Project

Purpose:

Patients turn to National Cancer Institute (NCI) –designated comprehensive cancer centers because of perceived better quality and more timely access to care. However, recent studies have found that patients at various institutions may struggle to gain access to an appointment or obtain consistent information from attendants. Our study employs a mystery shopper format to identify and quantify barriers faced by patients seeking to make a first consultation appointment across a homogenous sample of 40 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers.

Methods:

Five mystery shoppers used a standardized call script to inquire about first available appointment times and service offerings.

Results:

When inquiring about a date for a first available appointment, 29% of callers were unable to secure an estimated date without registering into the center’s database, 51% were able to secure an estimated date, and 20% were provided with an actual date. Of estimated or actual dates for a first available appointment, 74% were greater than 1 week away. There was no statistically significant variation between appointment availability across insurance type or US region.

Conclusion:

Our study highlights the difficulty of accessing information about appointment availability. Although not statistically significant, inquiries regarding first available appointments for Medicaid patients resulted in longer estimated or actual wait times than those for patients with private insurance, and Medicaid shoppers noted qualitative differences. Although our study was limited by small sample size and imperfect analytic methods, our results suggest the need for more efficient and accessible care for patients at our nation’s top cancer centers.