Addressing social needs in oncology practices: A case study of a patient-centered approach using health information technology

Given the dramatic growth in the financial burden of cancer care over the past decades, individuals with cancer are increasingly susceptible to developing social needs (e.g., housing instability and food insecurity) and experiencing an adverse impact of these needs on care management and health outc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical and translational science Vol. 8; no. 1; p. e139
Main Authors: Parsons, Helen M., Haynes, David, Blaes, Anne, Church, Timothy R., Halberg, Julia, Johnson, Steven G., Karaca-Mandic, Pinar
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Cambridge University Press 2024
Subjects:
Cancer
Caregivers
community based organizations
Demographics
Electronic health records
Focus groups
Food availability
Food security
Gift cards & certificates
Health care
Information technology
Integration of Social Determinants of Health with Clinical and Translational Science
Interviews
Medical diagnosis
mobile health information technology
Oncology
oncology practices
patient-centered design
Patients
Qualitative research
Social determinants of health
Stakeholders
Teams
Translational Research, Design and Analysis
Translational Science Case Study
community based organizations
Social determinants of health
oncology practices
mobile health information technology
patient-centered design
ISSN:2059-8661, 2059-8661
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Given the dramatic growth in the financial burden of cancer care over the past decades, individuals with cancer are increasingly susceptible to developing social needs (e.g., housing instability and food insecurity) and experiencing an adverse impact of these needs on care management and health outcomes. However, resources required to connect individuals with needed social and community services typically exceed the available staffing within clinical teams. Using input from focus groups, key informant interviews, user experience/user interface testing, and a multidisciplinary community advisory board, we developed a new technology solution, ConnectedNest, which connects individuals in need to community based organizations (CBOs) that provide services through direct and/or oncology team referrals, with interfaces to support all three groups (patients, CBOs, and oncology care teams). After prototype development, we conducted usability testing, with participants noting the importance of the technology for filling a current gap in screening and connecting individuals with cancer with needed social and community services. We employ a patient-empowered approach that engages the support of an individual’s healthcare team and community organizations. Future work will examine the integration and implementation of ConnectedNest for oncology patients, oncology care teams, and cancer-focused CBOs to build capacity for effectively addressing distress in this population.
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ISSN:2059-8661
2059-8661
DOI:10.1017/cts.2024.570