Patient education is an important part of cancer care as it increases patient activation and informed decision-making, reduces anxiety, and improves outcomes. However, challenges to providing appropriate education to patients exist on both the health provider and patient side of the equation, e.g., time constraints and health literacy issues. Digital health education is a fast-growing field of interest that has been shown to improve health outcomes, increase effectiveness of medical treatments and education, lower medical costs, and enhance both clinical diagnosis and research opportunities by streamlining data collection, sharing, and analysis. In 2019, Fox Chase Cancer Center was selected by ARCHES, an established patient education software company, to pilot its award-winning digital patient engagement system MyCareCompass. During the pilot, patients scheduled for port insertions were sent electronic messages inviting them to review various online educational materials related to their procedure and subsequent concerns. The invitations and resources were seamlessly integrated into the scheduling system and timed to arrive when patients would most need them. There was high usage of the port-related materials and patients reported a high level of satisfaction with the delivery system and the information. This automated process of delivering high-quality and relevant patient education was able to be implemented smoothly with IT involvement, had a positive impact on patients without adding any extra burden to the care team, and highlighted opportunities to integrate these types of interventions into routine care.
Keywords: Cancer Education; Digital Health; Patient Anxiety.
© 2023. The Author(s).