RSNA: Outpatient cancer system can help manage side effects
The side effect self-diagnostics system and blog function of a homegrown self-management support system for cancer outpatients allow both patients and medical staff to gain a detailed understanding of the patients’ side effects, based on a scientific poster presented at the 96th annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, Nov. 28 to Dec. 3.
The number of cancer patients is increasing and chemotherapy of cancer patients is shifting to the outpatient-based therapy, according to Tokuo Umeda, PhD, from the Kitasato University School of Applied Health Sciences in Kitasato, Japan, and colleagues.
“Such outpatient therapy often results in a lack of communication between medical staff and patients, and may lead to an increase in uneasiness among patients,” they wrote.
Therefore, the researchers developed a support system that provides as effective care for outpatient cancer chemotherapy patients as for those receiving inpatient care. They developed a social networking service (SNS) system using the OpenPNE engine. They added that the patient and the medical institution are able to securely transmit and accept information over the internet.
The system includes a side effect self-diagnostics system, a patient community system and an information service system. The side effect self-diagnostics system allows patients to diagnose their own side effects. In addition, the patient and medical staff can share the side effect data. The patient community system consists of a blog, community and messaging functions. The information service system allows search and inspection of information about medical treatment of side effects. Furthermore, the researchers said that contributions and edits of objective information, which they define as “medical information” and subjective information, such as experiences, also are possible to exchange.
Umeda and colleagues carried out a usability test of the system with 28 men and women (age range, 21 to 57 years old). Although one subject required the manual to operate the system, task completion percentage was 100 percent. Therefore, the authors contended that the system also could be used for patients in the age group unfamiliar with personal computers (PCs).
They found that people in their 40s had better PC skills, and as their recognition to cancer also was high, its comprehensive evaluation was the highest, the authors reported. Although those in their 50s had high recognition of cancer, their PC skills were low and their comprehensive evaluation was the lowest. Overall, the comprehensive evaluation score of the system for all ages was 3.8 out of five.
The researchers found that the exchange of information between medical staff and patients is possible using the bulletin board system as part of the community function.
“Furthermore, the information service system was useful not only for information gathering about medical treatment or side effects, but also for conveying the experiences of the patients themselves to others,” they wrote.
Due to the use of the new system, Umeda and colleagues concluded that outpatient cancer chemotherapy patients can have the same considerations as cancer patients receiving hospital treatment.
The number of cancer patients is increasing and chemotherapy of cancer patients is shifting to the outpatient-based therapy, according to Tokuo Umeda, PhD, from the Kitasato University School of Applied Health Sciences in Kitasato, Japan, and colleagues.
“Such outpatient therapy often results in a lack of communication between medical staff and patients, and may lead to an increase in uneasiness among patients,” they wrote.
Therefore, the researchers developed a support system that provides as effective care for outpatient cancer chemotherapy patients as for those receiving inpatient care. They developed a social networking service (SNS) system using the OpenPNE engine. They added that the patient and the medical institution are able to securely transmit and accept information over the internet.
The system includes a side effect self-diagnostics system, a patient community system and an information service system. The side effect self-diagnostics system allows patients to diagnose their own side effects. In addition, the patient and medical staff can share the side effect data. The patient community system consists of a blog, community and messaging functions. The information service system allows search and inspection of information about medical treatment of side effects. Furthermore, the researchers said that contributions and edits of objective information, which they define as “medical information” and subjective information, such as experiences, also are possible to exchange.
Umeda and colleagues carried out a usability test of the system with 28 men and women (age range, 21 to 57 years old). Although one subject required the manual to operate the system, task completion percentage was 100 percent. Therefore, the authors contended that the system also could be used for patients in the age group unfamiliar with personal computers (PCs).
They found that people in their 40s had better PC skills, and as their recognition to cancer also was high, its comprehensive evaluation was the highest, the authors reported. Although those in their 50s had high recognition of cancer, their PC skills were low and their comprehensive evaluation was the lowest. Overall, the comprehensive evaluation score of the system for all ages was 3.8 out of five.
The researchers found that the exchange of information between medical staff and patients is possible using the bulletin board system as part of the community function.
“Furthermore, the information service system was useful not only for information gathering about medical treatment or side effects, but also for conveying the experiences of the patients themselves to others,” they wrote.
Due to the use of the new system, Umeda and colleagues concluded that outpatient cancer chemotherapy patients can have the same considerations as cancer patients receiving hospital treatment.
Mary C. Tierney, MS, Vice President & Chief Content Officer, TriMed Media Group
Mary joined TriMed Media in 2003. She was the founding editor and editorial director of Health Imaging, Cardiovascular Business, Molecular Imaging Insight and CMIO, now known as Clinical Innovation + Technology. Prior to TriMed, Mary was the editorial director of HealthTech Publishing Company, where she had worked since 1991. While there, she oversaw four magazines and related online media, and piloted the launch of two magazines and websites. Mary holds a master’s in journalism from Syracuse University. She lives in East Greenwich, R.I., and when not working, she is usually running around after her family, taking photos or cooking.