Smart devices are everywhere these days. As soon as we were able to put computers in our bags and our pockets, they quickly began to permeate every aspect of our lives. While many find this annoying, there have been proven benefits to implementing the use of smart devices into certain areas of our lives, including helping patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer reach informed decisions about their treatment.
The Issue
We live in an age of information, where almost anything we want to know can be readily found on the screen of a nearby smart phone or tablet. At the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Sandhya Pruthi, Associate Medical Director of Content Management and Delivery for Global Business Solutions, was interested in helping patients make better decisions after they received a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Getting diagnosed with cancer is a very emotional time for patients, who are often flooded with information and options while they’re still trying to process the diagnosis itself and all that it means for them and their loved ones. Patients are overwhelmed with information they get from the team of providers about surgical options, medical treatments, reconstructive and radiation therapy options. In addition, doctors often have limited time during the clinical visit to review all the options and patients are then expected to understand the risks and benefits and make decisions about treatment options. No doubt, the team of doctors, only have the patient’s best interests in mind, but that doesn’t make the onslaught of information and advice any less overwhelming for the recently diagnosed individual.
The Concept
Dr. Pruthi decided to simplify the process for patients by loading iPads with a proprietary software that collected patient input and connected their data points with tiered, decision-making algorithms to help the patients make informed decisions regarding their surgical approach to treatment.
The researchers spent a little more than six months collecting information on more than 800 patients who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer at the Mayo Clinic Breast Diagnostic Clinic. The participants ranged in age from 31 to 86, with an average age of 59. The iPads they were given provided them with information on surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and plastic surgery consultations. After having their surgery, they returned the iPad to the Mayo Clinic with their completed patient satisfaction survey.
The Results
Patients were given the options of making the decision entirely on their own, making their decision with the help of their doctor’s advice, or leaving it entirely in the hands of their doctor. Almost half of all patients preferred to make the decision on their own after having considered their doctor’s advice. The next largest group wanted to make the decision together with their doctor.
The patients’ confidence in their own treatments was also rated, along with their preference for the way in which the decision was made. Almost half of all the patients were very confident of their decision prior to having the surgery. More than three-quarters of the patients used the iPad and the decision-making tool it provided to help them make their decisions during the treatment period.
Whereas patient confidence before making their decision was reported at 48%, after having used the iPad, patient confidence was rated higher than 90%.
Almost 94% of the patients reported after surgery that they had found the iPad and its proprietary software useful in helping them make their decision. Among the comments included in the survey results, patients said the software was easy to understand and use and that it helped them and their families better understand their disease and treatment. The vast majority of participants (over 93%) said they would recommend the iPad to other patients.
The medical practitioners also saw significant benefits in using the iPads to help patients reach an informed decision about their diagnosis. They found it to be a more efficient way to present options to patients, and because patients were equipped with more knowledge, they were able to ask better questions, making their visits with specialists more meaningful. The nursing staff reported receiving fewer follow-up calls from patients because the patients already felt more informed, thanks to the iPads.
Moving Forward
In order to be innovative, every industry needs to be continually considering how technology can help move them forward, and healthcare is no exception. New and developing technologies can significantly improve the patient experience by creating a support system to help them through the decision-making process. Going forward, healthcare strategists and medical practitioners can continue to explore and look for more ways in which educational and interactive software can help improve patient confidence and satisfaction when considering surgical vs. non-surgical treatment options.
How Does This Fit into The Future Role of the Healthcare Strategist?
The results of this study should encourage healthcare strategists to continue looking for ways to include more user experiences (such as a mobile device) to help the patients make informed decisions about their treatment. The patient should be consulted alongside pertinent information and clinical expertise to help the team decide on the best course of treatment for that patient and their unique situation. This can be aided with the use of data-driven insights that help inform and guide patients to the best possible treatment option for them.
What Does the Future Hold?
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, it’s more important than ever for competitive healthcare providers to enhance the patient experience as much as possible. By using today’s technology to our advantage, healthcare strategists are on target to do just that. While this study was very successful in helping patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer, there’s no reason these tools and systems need to be limited to breast cancer patients. They can also help patients with a variety of cancers, including lung, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer, as well as other diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
The future role of the healthcare strategist is largely about leading and continuously advancing the interactions between patients and providers. In order to accomplish that goal, we’re going to need all the help we can get and there’s no shortage of reasons to include technology in every part of the process.
By Sandhya Pruthi, MD | Posted December 13, 2017
Professor of Medicine and Associate Medical Director of Content Management and Delivery for Global Business Solutions
Mayo Clinic