Digital Health Literacy and Person-Centred Care: Co-Creation of a Massive Open Online Course for Women with Breast Cancer

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 22;20(5):3922. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20053922.

Abstract

The diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) can make the affected person vulnerable to suffering the possible consequences of the use of low-quality health information. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) may be a useful and efficient resource to improve digital health literacy and person-centred care in this population. The aim of this study is to co-create a MOOC for women with BC, using a modified design approach based on patients' experience. Co-creation was divided into three sequential phases: exploratory, development and evaluation. Seventeen women in any stage of BC and two healthcare professionals participated. In the exploratory phase, a patient journey map was carried out and empowerment needs related to emotional management strategies and self-care guidelines were identified, as well as information needs related to understanding medical terminology. In the development phase, participants designed the structure and contents of the MOOC through a Moodle platform. A MOOC with five units was developed. In the evaluation phase, participants strongly agreed that their participation was useful for the MOOC's development and participating in the co-creation process made the content more relevant to them (experience in the co-creation); most of the participants positively evaluated the content or interface of the MOOC (acceptability pilot). Educational interventions designed by women with BC is a viable strategy to generate higher-quality, useful resources for this population.

Keywords: MOOC; breast cancer; digital health literacy; health education; person-centred care.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms*
  • Education, Distance*
  • Female
  • Health Literacy*
  • Humans
  • Patient-Centered Care

Grants and funding

This study has been funded by the Canary Islands Health Research Institute Foundation, through the project “Desarrollo y evaluación de una intervención sobre Atención Centrada en la Persona y Alfabetización Digital en Salud en Cáncer de Mama” (PIFIISC/1924).