Development and evaluation of a holistic surgical head and neck cancer post-treatment follow-up clinic using touchscreen technology – feasibility study

The efficacy of traditional follow-up care is being challenged, as cancer survivors’ supportive and psychological needs are often neither identified, nor addressed. This study’s aim was to develop a holistic surgical follow-up clinic for oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients were participants completed a disease-specific HRQOL tool (UWQOLv4) and item prompt list (PCI) on a touchscreen computer. Information generated was used to focus the consultation on patient’s identified needs and concerns. By means of a prospective non-randomized, pre-test post-test design, this follow-up clinic was evaluated using the Patient Enablement Instrument and Patient Content Checklist. Feasibility was explored from the patient perspective (satisfaction survey) and clinician perspective (qualitative interview). Forty-four consecutive patients were recruited. Findings demonstrating five of the eight topics (overall QOL, emotions, head and neck symptoms, side-effects of treatment, chronic non-specific) on Patient Content Checklist were discussed more frequently, but changes were not statistically significant. The Patient Enablement Instrument highlighted a trend towards perceived improvement in four of the six items. Using touchscreen computers to aid communication during routine follow-up was reported as both feasible and beneficial by patients and clinicians. Providing a patient-focused follow-up consultation can facilitate the identification of unmet needs, permitting timely and appropriate intervention being initiated.