Prevalence and Age-Related Patterns in Health Information-Seeking Behaviors and Technology Use Among Skin Cancer Survivors: Survey Study

Patient-centered communication and cancer information-seeking experiences among cancer survivors: A population-based study in the United States

OBJECTIVES

To investigate associations between patient-centered communication (PCC) and two elements of cancer information-seeking experience (i.e., effort and frustration) among cancer survivors.

METHODS

We utilized secondary data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey ([HINTS5 cycles 2 (2018) and 4 (2020)], and [HINTS6 (2022)]) for 1346 self-identified cancer survivors (aged ≥18 years) who reported ever seeking cancer information from any source and ≥one healthcare provider visit during the past 12 months. We fit multivariable logistic regression models to compute adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and associated 95 % confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Approximately 40 % of cancer survivors reported that it took them significant effort to seek needed cancer information, and 33.8 % felt frustrated doing so. With each unit increase on the PCC score scale, cancer survivors were about 1.5 % and almost 2.0 % less likely to perceive extra effort in seeking cancer information (aOR=0.986; 95 % CI: 0.977, 0.996) or report frustration while doing so (aOR=0.981; 95 % CI: 0.973, 0.990), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrate that better PCC is associated with improved cancer information-seeking experiences.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

PCC could potentially empower cancer survivors to take a more active role in self-care and decision-making while reducing uncertainty and optimizing cancer information-seeking experiences.

Patient-Centered Communication and Cancer Information Overload Among Adults without a History of Cancer in the United States

Patient-centered communication (PCC) plays a pivotal role in improving healthcare quality and health outcomes. A plethora of cancer prevention-related information is publicly available, potentially leading to cancer information overload (CIO). However, little is known about whether experience with PCC can help prevent or reduce CIO among adults without a history of cancer. Pooled data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycles 1-4, 2017 through 2020) were utilized for 10,636 non-institutionalized U.S. adults (≥18 years) without a history of cancer. The CIO was constructed based on respondents' experiences of difficulties following myriad cancer prevention recommendations. Experience of PCC was measured on a composite score scale of 0 to 100 based on elements of the PCC model for patient-healthcare provider encounters. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to investigate associations between PCC and CIO. Approximately 75.0% of the study respondents with a lower mean PCC expressed experiencing CIO (79.1 vs. no-CIO = 82.1, p < .001). With each one-unit score increase on the PCC scale, the odds of experiencing CIO decreased by approximately 1% (adjusted OR = 0.993; 95% CI: 0.988, 0.997; p < .01). The findings highlight that higher levels of PCC are associated with reduced odds of experiencing CIO. Increased PCC could help individuals better navigate cancer prevention-related information, thus reducing stress and improving informed decision-making. Healthcare providers and policy initiatives should promote tailored cancer prevention communication practices that prioritize patient-centeredness.

The New Media Landscape and Its Effects on Skin Cancer Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Prevention: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The wide availability of web-based sources, including social media (SM), has supported rapid, widespread dissemination of health information. This dissemination can be an asset during public health emergencies; however, it can also present challenges when the information is inaccurate or ill-informed. Of interest, many SM sources discuss cancer, specifically cutaneous melanoma and keratinocyte cancers (basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma).

OBJECTIVE

Through a comprehensive and scoping review of the literature, this study aims to gain an actionable perspective of the state of SM information regarding skin cancer diagnostics, prognostics, and prevention.

METHODS

We performed a scoping literature review to establish the relationship between SM and skin cancer. A literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 2000 to June 2023. The included studies discussed SM and its relationship to and effect on skin cancer.

RESULTS

Through the search, 1009 abstracts were initially identified, 188 received full-text review, and 112 met inclusion criteria. The included studies were divided into 7 groupings based on a publication's primary objective: misinformation (n=40, 36%), prevention campaign (n=19, 17%), engagement (n=16, 14%), research (n=12, 11%), education (n=11, 10%), demographics (n=10, 9%), and patient support (n=4, 3%), which were the most common identified themes.

CONCLUSIONS

Through this review, we gained a better understanding of the SM environment addressing skin cancer information, and we gained insight into the best practices by which SM could be used to positively influence the health care information ecosystem.