Abstract
Abstract
Background
Transforming healthcare delivery means placing greater emphasis on shared care and decision-making, centred on patients’ values, needs and preferences. The internet has acted as a likely catalyst and/or facilitator in this process, with proliferation during the global pandemic. A recent scoping review indicated a lack of high-quality evidence-based online resources for head and neck cancer patients (HNC), with a paucity of end-user involvement during development. To inform the co-design of an online resource for HNC patients, both patients’ and healthcare professionals’ perspectives were sought on content required and key design features.
Methods
Qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was employed with patients (n=10) and three focus groups with healthcare professionals (n=21) to understand their perceptions and preferences on content, issues to be addressed and key design elements of an online resource to promote patient decision-making and coping with HNC and its treatment effects. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse both data sets, which were then triangulated.
Results
Three key themes were identified: (1): Key objectives and constructs underpinning the online resource, (2): Important content to incorporate within the online resource, and (3): Design preferences for the online resource. Participants indicated a preference for online content to be mapped across the key landmarks of the cancer trajectory (at diagnosis, during and after treatment); with tailoring and layering of information; presented through a biopsychosocial lens, incorporating patient experience narratives, to aid contextualising of information.
Conclusion
This research highlights the need to co-produce online resources with key expert stakeholders, integrating factual information alongside patient experience narratives. Incorporating patients’ narrative would appear to be a beneficial source of information to contextualise patient experience, whilst empowering and educating patients to become more proactive in decision-making, facilitate self-management and improve health outcomes.
Background
Transforming healthcare delivery means placing greater emphasis on shared care and decision-making, centred on patients’ values, needs and preferences. The internet has acted as a likely catalyst and/or facilitator in this process, with proliferation during the global pandemic. A recent scoping review indicated a lack of high-quality evidence-based online resources for head and neck cancer patients (HNC), with a paucity of end-user involvement during development. To inform the co-design of an online resource for HNC patients, both patients’ and healthcare professionals’ perspectives were sought on content required and key design features.
Methods
Qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was employed with patients (n=10) and three focus groups with healthcare professionals (n=21) to understand their perceptions and preferences on content, issues to be addressed and key design elements of an online resource to promote patient decision-making and coping with HNC and its treatment effects. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse both data sets, which were then triangulated.
Results
Three key themes were identified: (1): Key objectives and constructs underpinning the online resource, (2): Important content to incorporate within the online resource, and (3): Design preferences for the online resource. Participants indicated a preference for online content to be mapped across the key landmarks of the cancer trajectory (at diagnosis, during and after treatment); with tailoring and layering of information; presented through a biopsychosocial lens, incorporating patient experience narratives, to aid contextualising of information.
Conclusion
This research highlights the need to co-produce online resources with key expert stakeholders, integrating factual information alongside patient experience narratives. Incorporating patients’ narrative would appear to be a beneficial source of information to contextualise patient experience, whilst empowering and educating patients to become more proactive in decision-making, facilitate self-management and improve health outcomes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 11 Nov 2022 |
Keywords
- head and neck cancer
- qualitative research
- online resource
- Triangulation
