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

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.

10.2196/14187 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. e14187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
Fiona Wood

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.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
Fiona Wood

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.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Richards ◽  
Paul Kinnersley ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
Grace McCutchan ◽  
John Staffurth ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062199280
Author(s):  
Nafiz Zaman Shuva

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481984160
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gage-Bouchard ◽  
Susan LaValley ◽  
Julia A. Devonish

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.


2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 833-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Ha Lee ◽  
Rachel Ivy Clarke ◽  
Stephanie Rossi

Video games are popular consumer products as well as research subjects, yet little exists about how players and other stakeholders find video games and what information they need to select, acquire and play video games. With the aim of better understanding people’s game-related information needs and behaviour, we conducted 56 semi-structured interviews with users who find, play, purchase, collect and recommend video games. Participants included gamers, parents, collectors, industry professionals, librarians, educators and scholars. From this user data, we derive and discuss key design implications for video game information systems: designing for target user populations, enabling recommendations based on appeals, offering multiple automatic organization options and providing relationship-based, user-generated, subject and visual metadata. We anticipate this work will contribute to building future video game information systems with new and improved access to games.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christaline Wijekoon ◽  
Anupa Manewa ◽  
Andrew David Ross

Purpose Building information modelling (BIM) provides a robust platform for information management in built environment facilities. However, one of the consequences of the limited application of BIM in facilities information management (FIM) is that the potential value gain through the integration of as-built information during the operations management process has had limited exploration in current practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential impact of BIM to enhance the value of FIM. Design/methodology/approach A detailed literature review was undertaken to identify BIM application in a construction context, and to develop a framework to investigate the value of information. An interpretative approach was adopted for data collection and analysis. A total of 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with construction industry professionals to identify how value of FIM can be enhanced through BIM integration. The interview data were analysed using open and selective coding. Findings The findings confirm that information exchange between the construction and facilities management (FM) phases of a project are important in terms of efficient and effective maintenance of a facility as well as optimising the design task. With these promising benefits, BIM is an efficient mechanism to facilitate construction information exchange. However, there is an uncertainty over the optimum level of information that ought to be on a BIM model for FM purposes. The relationship between different aspects of value is a starting point to filter the required information for each individual project. In contrast, limited awareness of value of information exchange and the potential of BIM enabled FIM during construction is noted. Research limitations/implications The information exchange considered within this investigation was limited to two key phases of the facility life cycle, namely, construction and FM (in-use). Practical implications The findings bring insight into an unseen aspect of FM information needs that should be given priority in upcoming BIM developments. Also, it draws attention to how value is concerned in a daily basis beyond monetary terms. Originality/value The investigation of value enhancement through BIM integration in particular to FIM and ongoing research with new value dimensions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2s-2s ◽  
Author(s):  
Sewunet Admasu Belachew ◽  
Abebe Basazn Mekuria ◽  
Daniel Asfaw Erku

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.


2021 ◽  
pp. BJGP.2021.0426
Author(s):  
Andrew Turner ◽  
Rebecca Morris ◽  
Dylan Rakhra ◽  
Fiona Stevenson ◽  
Lorraine McDonagh ◽  
...  

Background: Health services are increasingly using digital tools to deliver care and online consultations are being widely adopted in primary care settings. The intended consequences of online consultations are to increase patient access to care and increase the efficiency of care. Aim: To identify and understand the unintended consequences of online consultations in primary care. Design and Setting: Qualitative interview study in eight general practices using online consultation tools in South West and North West England. Method: Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 19 patients and 18 general practice staff. Results: We identified consequences of online consultations that restricted patient access to care by making it difficult for some patients to communicate effectively with a GP and disadvantaging digitally-excluded patients. This stemmed from patient uncertainty about how their queries were dealt with and whether practices used online consultations as their preferred method for patients to contact the practice. We identified consequences that limited increases in practice efficiency by creating additional work, isolation and dissatisfaction for some staff. Conclusion: Unintended consequences often present operational challenges that are foreseeable and partly preventable. However these challenges must be recognised and solutions resourced sufficiently. Not everyone may benefit and local decisions will need to be made about trade-offs. Bespoke process change is critical to making effective use of online consultation tools. Unintended consequences also present clinical challenges that result from asynchronous communication. Online consultation tools favour simple, well-formulated, information exchange that leads to diffuse relationships and a more transactional style of medicine.


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