scholarly journals The Preferences of Patients With Cancer Regarding Apps to Help Meet Their Illness-Related Information Needs: Qualitative Interview Study

10.2196/14187 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. e14187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
Fiona Wood
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Related Information ◽  
App Development ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Question Prompt List

Background The shift from inpatient to outpatient and community cancer care means that more patients with cancer need to manage their condition at home, without the direct supervision of their clinician. Subsequently, research has reported that many patients with cancer have unmet information needs during their illness. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, provide an opportunity to deliver information to patients remotely. Before designing an app intervention to help patients with cancer to meet their information needs, in-depth qualitative research is required to gain an understanding of the views of the target users. Objective We aimed to develop an app intervention to help patients meet their illness-related information needs in noninpatient settings. This study explored the information needs of patients with cancer and their preferences for an app and desired app features. Specifically, the perceived acceptability of an app, desired app features, and the potential benefits and disadvantages of, and barriers to, an app were explored. Methods Qualitative, one-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with urological, colorectal, breast, or gynecological cancers (N=23) across two hospitals in South Wales. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results Findings indicated that barriers to information exchange and understanding in consultations, and identification of reliable information sources between consultations, appeared to contribute to patients’ unmet information needs. Consequently, app feature suggestions included a question prompt list, a glossary of cancer terms, a resources feature, and a contacts feature. Anticipated benefits of this type of app included a more informed patient, improved quality of life, decreased anxiety, and increased confidence to participate in their care. The anticipated barriers to app use are likely to be temporary or can be minimized with regard to these findings during app development and implementation. Conclusions This study highlights the desire of patients with cancer for an app intervention to help them meet their information needs during and between consultations with their clinicians. This study also highlights the anticipated acceptability and benefits of this type of intervention; however, further research is warranted.

scholarly journals The preferences of patients with cancer regarding an app to help them to meet their illness-related information needs: a qualitative interview study. (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
Fiona Wood
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Related Information ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Inpatient Settings ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Question Prompt List

BACKGROUND The shift from inpatient to outpatient and community cancer care means that more patients with cancer are required to manage their condition at home, without the direct supervision of their clinician. Subsequently, research has reported that many patients with cancer have unmet information needs during their illness. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, provide an opportunity to deliver information to patients remotely. We aimed to develop an app intervention to help patients to meet their illness-related information needs in non-inpatient settings. In-depth qualitative research was required in order to gain an understanding of the views of the target users prior to design of the intervention. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore the information needs of patients with cancer and their preferences for an app and desired app features. Specifically, the perceived acceptability of an app, desired app features and the potential benefits and disadvantages of, and barriers to, an app were explored. METHODS Qualitative, one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients with urological, colorectal, breast or gynecological cancers (n=23) across two hospitals in South Wales. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Findings indicated that barriers to information exchange and understanding in consultations, and identification of reliable information sources between consultations, appeared to contribute to patients’ unmet information needs. Consequently, app feature suggestions included a question prompt list, glossary of cancer terms, resources feature and a contacts feature. Anticipated benefits of this type of app included a more informed patient, improved quality of life, decreased anxiety and increased confidence to participate in their care. The anticipated barriers to app use are likely to be temporary or can be minimized with consideration of these findings during app development and implementation. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights cancer patients’ desire for an app intervention to help them to meet their information needs during and between consultations with their clinicians. This study also highlights the anticipated acceptability and benefits of this type of intervention, however further research is warranted.

scholarly journals Deciphering the Signal From the Noise: Caregivers’ Information Appraisal and Credibility Assessment of Cancer-Related Information Exchanged on Social Networking Sites

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481984160
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gage-Bouchard ◽  
Susan LaValley ◽  
Julia A. Devonish
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Cancer Information ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Credibility Assessment ◽  
Cancer Communication ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Cancer Caregivers

With the rise in the use of the Internet for health-related purposes, social networking sites (SNSs) have become a prominent platform for cancer communication and information exchange. Studies of cancer communication on SNS have mostly focused on understanding the quantity, content, quality, and user engagement (eg, likes and comments) with cancer-related information on SNS. There is less of an understanding of when and why people coping with cancer turn to SNS for cancer-related information, and how users appraise the credibility of cancer-related information obtained on SNS. In this study, we use data from in-depth qualitative interviews with 40 primary caregivers of pediatric patients with cancer to examine how cancer caregivers engage in information appraisal and credibility assessment of cancer-related information obtained on SNS. Findings show that cancer caregivers turned to SNS for cancer-related information because information on SNS was immediate, targeted in response to specific caregiver questions and concerns, and tailored to the specific information needs of cancer caregivers. Cancer caregivers evaluated the credibility of cancer-related information obtained on SNS through assessment of the SNS user who posted the information, frequency the same information was shared, and external corroboration. Findings have important implications for cancer communication and information interventions and point to elements of SNS cancer communication that can be integrated into health professional–facilitated communication and cancer information strategies.

scholarly journals Preferred Information Sources and Needs of Patients With Cancer on Disease Symptoms and Management: A Cross-Sectional Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2s-2s ◽  
Author(s):  
Sewunet Admasu Belachew ◽  
Abebe Basazn Mekuria ◽  
Daniel Asfaw Erku
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Hospital Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction

Abstract 3 Background: The provision of appropriate information to patients with cancer has a weighty impact on heightening the quality of cancer care across the whole community of patients with cancer. Diagnosis and management of cancer require patients to be aware of their disease. This study aimed at identifying the information needs of patients with cancer, their preferences for the means of receiving health information, and the perceived level of satisfaction of existing possibilities for acquiring cancer-related information in Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional survey was administered to 556 patients with cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy in the oncology wards of Gondar University Referral Hospital and Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital. Data were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: Information regarded as most important by the majority of patients (67.26%) concerned that of the specific type of cancer (name and stage of cancer), followed by information on the adverse effects of chemotherapy and their management (63.29%) and prognosis (survival; 51.8%). Doctors, overwhelmingly, were the source of information about cancer (88.8%), followed by nurses (34%). The majority of respondents (70.3%) were not satisfied at all or only a little satisfied, whereas 15.6% of respondents reported that they were “quite” or “very” satisfied with the existing possibilities for acquiring information regarding cancer. Conclusion: Medical practitioners other than doctors and nurses, such as clinical pharmacists, should support and identify measures that can enhance patient satisfaction regarding existing possibilities for acquiring information about cancer. Periodic assessment of the information requirements of a patient with cancer is also crucial, considering the ever-changing dynamics of priorities of such information desires. AUTHORS' DISCLOSURES OF POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST No COIs from the authors.

scholarly journals Use of Mobile Devices to Help Cancer Patients Meet Their Information Needs in Non-Inpatient Settings: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
Grace McCutchan ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Handheld Device ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Inpatient Settings ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Mobile Interventions

BACKGROUND The shift from inpatient to outpatient cancer care means that patients are now required to manage their condition at home, away from regular supervision by clinicians. Subsequently, research has consistently reported that many patients with cancer have unmet information needs during their illness. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, provide an opportunity to deliver information to patients remotely. To date, no systematic reviews have evaluated how mobile devices have been used specifically to help patients meet to their information needs. OBJECTIVE A systematic review was conducted to identify studies that describe the use of mobile interventions to enable patients with cancer meet their cancer-related information needs in non-inpatient settings, and to describe the effects and feasibility of these interventions. METHODS MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched up until January 2017. Search terms related to “mobile devices,” “information needs,” and “cancer” were used. There were no restrictions on study type in order to be as inclusive as possible. Study participants were patients with cancer undergoing treatment. Interventions had to be delivered by a mobile or handheld device, attempt to meet patients’ cancer-related information needs, and be for use in non-inpatient settings. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists were used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. A narrative synthesis was performed and findings were organized by common themes found across studies. RESULTS The initial search yielded 1020 results. We included 23 articles describing 20 studies. Interventions aimed to improve the monitoring and management of treatment-related symptoms (17/20, 85%), directly increase patients’ knowledge related to their condition (2/20, 10%), and improve communication of symptoms to clinicians in consultations (1/20, 5%). Studies focused on adult (17/20; age range 24-87 years) and adolescent (3/20; age range 8-18 years) patients. Sample sizes ranged from 4-125, with 13 studies having 25 participants or fewer. Most studies were conducted in the United Kingdom (12/20, 52%) or United States (7/20, 30%). Of the 23 articles included, 12 were of medium quality, 9 of poor quality, and 2 of good quality. Overall, interventions were reported to be acceptable and perceived as useful and easy to use. Few technical problems were encountered. Adherence was generally consistent and high (periods ranged from 5 days to 6 months). However, there was considerable variation in use of intervention components within and between studies. Reported benefits of the interventions included improved symptom management, patient empowerment, and improved clinician-patient communication, although mixed findings were reported for patients’ health-related quality of life and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS The current review highlighted that mobile interventions for patients with cancer are only meeting treatment or symptom-related information needs. There were no interventions designed to meet patients’ full range of cancer-related information needs, from information on psychological support to how to manage finances during cancer, and the long-term effects of treatment. More comprehensive interventions are required for patients to meet their information needs when managing their condition in non-inpatient settings. Controlled evaluations are needed to further determine the effectiveness of these types of intervention.

scholarly journals The views of cancer clinicians regarding an app to help patients with cancer to meet their information needs: a qualitative interview study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
Fiona Wood
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Care ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Gynecological Cancer ◽  
Smart Devices ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Doctor Patient Communication ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Inpatient Settings

BACKGROUND Many patients with cancer have unmet information needs during their illness. Smart devices, such as smart phones and tablet computers, provide an opportunity to deliver information to patients remotely. We aimed to develop an app intervention to help patients with cancer to meet their illness-related information needs in non-inpatient settings. As well as in depth exploration of the issues faced by the target users of a potential intervention, it is important to gain an understanding of the context in which it will be used and the potential influences on the intervention. The support of clinicians will be key to the successful implementation of this type of app in practice and second to patients themselves, clinicians have an awareness of their patients’ needs and can provide further insight into the type of app and features that might be most beneficial. OBJECTIVE This study explored the views of cancer clinicians on this type of intervention and whether they would support the use of an app in cancer care. Specifically, the perceived acceptability of an app, useful app features, and the potential benefits and disadvantages of, and barriers to, app use were explored. METHODS Twenty qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 clinicians from urological, colorectal, breast, or gynecological cancer clinics across two hospitals in South Wales. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Clinicians anticipated that many patients would want to use an app for cancer care and felt it would be acceptable for patients to use such an app, including in consultations. The benefits of this type of app were anticipated to be a more informed patient, an increased sense of control for patients, better doctor-patient communication, and a more efficient and effective consultation. In contrast, an increase in clinicians’ workload and poorer communication in consultations, depending on included app features, were identified as potential disadvantages. The anticipated barriers to app use included patients’ age and prior experience with smart technology, access to smart devices, confidentiality of information, and an avoidant coping approach to their condition. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that there would be support from clinicians for their patients to use an app to help them to meet their information needs, both at home and during consultations. This study highlights some of the potential barriers for this type of intervention in practice, which could be minimised during intervention design.

scholarly journals “I actually got my first job through my ex-colleague”: Employment-related information seeking behavior of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062199280
Author(s):  
Nafiz Zaman Shuva
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Immigrant Professionals ◽  
Government Of Canada ◽  
First Job

This study explores the employment-related information seeking behaviour of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, Canada, and obtained 205 survey responses. The study highlights the centrality of employment-related settlement among Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario and reports many immigrants not being able to utilize their education and skills after arrival in Canada. The results show that Bangladeshi immigrants utilize various information sources for their employment in Canada, including friends and professional colleagues, online searchers, and settlement agencies. Although Bangladeshi immigrants utilized a large array of information sources for meeting their employment-related information needs, many interview participants emphasized that the employment-related benefits they received was because of their access to friends and professional colleagues in Canada. The survey results echoed the interview findings. The cross-tabulation results on post-arrival information sources and occupation status as well as first job information sources and occupational status in Canada show a significant association among the use of the information source “friends and professional colleagues in Canada” and immigrants’ occupational status. The study highlights the benefits of professional colleagues among immigrants in employment-related settlement contexts. It also reports the challenges faced by many immigrant professionals related to employment-related settlement because of the lack of access to their professional friends and colleagues in Canada. The author urges the Federal Government of Canada, provincial governments, and settlement agencies working with newcomers to offer services that would connect highly skilled immigrants with their professional networks in Canada, in order to get proper guidance related to obtaining a professional job or alternative career. The author calls for further studies on employment-related information seeking by immigrants to better understand the role information plays in their settlement in a new country.

The Acceptability and Effectiveness of Videos Promoting Smoking Cessation Among Australians Experiencing Mental Illness

2021 ◽  
pp. 109019812110347
Author(s):  
Ratika Sharma-Kumar ◽  
Cheneal Puljević ◽  
Kylie Morphett ◽  
Carla Meurk ◽  
Coral Gartner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Signed Rank ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Promote Smoking Cessation ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Signed Rank Test ◽  
High Level

There are high rates of tobacco smoking among people who experience mental illness (MI). While videos are an effective method of disseminating health-related information, there is limited research investigating the effectiveness of video-delivered education promoting smoking cessation among people living with MI. This formative study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of targeted video resources providing smoking cessation information and advice to smokers with MI. This study used a mixed-method design; 29 Australian smokers living with MI completed a preinterview survey including 12 questions assessing knowledge about smoking cessation, watched six videos developed by the research team providing information about smoking cessation, took part in semistructured interviews about the videos’ quality, content, and format, and then completed a postinterview survey identical to the preinterview survey to assess changes in smoking cessation-related knowledge. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to calculate changes in cessation-related knowledge, and thematic analysis was used to identify common themes in qualitative data. We found a statistically significant increase in participants’ smoking cessation-related knowledge scores after watching the videos. Participants indicated an overall high level of acceptability of the videos’ quality, content, and format, and findings from the semistructured interviews reflected these favorable views. This study’s findings provide a new understanding of the effectiveness and acceptability of customized video-based education to promote smoking cessation among people living with MI, and can be used to inform the content and focus of video resources aimed at increasing knowledge about smoking cessation for people experiencing MI.

This Is a Different Patient Population: Opioid Prescribing Challenges for Patients With Cancer-Related Pain

2021 ◽  
pp. OP.20.01041
Author(s):  
Yael Schenker ◽  
Megan Hamm ◽  
Hailey W. Bulls ◽  
Jessica S. Merlin ◽  
Rachel Wasilko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Epidemic ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Interview Guide ◽  
Additional Support ◽  
Noncancer Pain

PURPOSE: Responses to the opioid epidemic in the United States, including efforts to monitor and limit prescriptions for noncancer pain, may be affecting patients with cancer. Oncologists' views on how the opioid epidemic may be influencing treatment of cancer-related pain are not well understood. METHODS: We conducted a multisite qualitative interview study with 26 oncologists from a mix of urban and rural practices in Western Pennsylvania. The interview guide asked about oncologists' views of and experiences in treating cancer-related pain in the context of the opioid epidemic. A multidisciplinary team conducted thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify and refine themes related to challenges to safe and effective opioid prescribing for cancer-related pain and recommendations for improvement. RESULTS: Oncologists described three main challenges: (1) patients who receive opioids for cancer-related pain feel stigmatized by clinicians, pharmacists, and society; (2) patients with cancer-related pain fear becoming addicted, which affects their willingness to accept prescription opioids; and (3) guidelines for safe and effective opioid prescribing are often misinterpreted, leading to access issues. Suggested improvements included educational materials for patients and families, efforts to better inform prescribers and the public about safe and appropriate uses of opioids for cancer-related pain, and additional support from pain and/or palliative care specialists. CONCLUSION: Challenges to safe and effective opioid prescribing for cancer-related pain include opioid stigma and access barriers. Interventions that address opioid stigma and provide additional resources for clinicians navigating complex opioid prescribing guidelines may help to optimize cancer pain treatment.

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