Exploring the potential for digital tools in cancer care: A patient-centric approach

Digital health tools have potential to empower patients to actively participate in decision-making related to their treatment options, appointment scheduling, medication adherence, and lifestyle management by giving them timely access to personalised information and care tools. Despite demonstrated benefits, the sustainable implementation and adoption of digital tools remain limited in cancer care. Patient needs, trust, interest and willingness to adopt digital tools vary across their cancer journey. Despite the varying needs there is limited evidence on how digital tools can designed to be patient centric. This thesis explores different aspects of digitisation and how it can contribute to improving the patient experience of cancer care. This research further seeks to understand how techniques as design thinking can guide development of digital tools to improve the experience and outcomes for cancer patients and survivors by integrating patient-centric digital solutions into healthcare practices. A two-phase mixed-methods approach was adopted. First, a systematic literature review examined applications of design thinking in cancer care. Second, a national cross-sectional survey (n=159) of cancer patients and survivors in Ireland gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on information needs, current information sources, preferred information sources and feature preferences for digital tools to aid cancer care. Participants had strong digital skills and interest in using digital tools but reported moderate levels of trust. Healthcare professionals were preferred source of information, but patients also increasingly relied on digital medium as mobile apps. Information needs vary according to cancer journey. Key barriers to digital engagement included emotional distress, information overload, and lack of trust in online sources. Digital tools in cancer care should stage-sensitive and co-designed with patients to address evolving informational needs. Trust in digital tools is critical to adoption. Future research has potential in prototyping and longitudinal testing with iterative process.

Publisher

University of Galway

Rights

CC BY-NC-ND

cbn

Collections

University of Galway Theses (Research Masters Theses)