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Limited concordance between patient preference and patient perception and between patient and physician perception in how the treatment decision was made suggests the need for better communication between patient and clinician during a critical treatment encounter for breast cancer patients.

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Objective Universal design principles advocate inclusion of end users in every design stage, including research and development. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have long been described as potential tools to enable people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to operate technology without moving. Therefore the objective of the current study is to determine the opinions and priorities of people with ALS regarding BCI design. This information will guide BCIs in development to meet end user needs. Methods Telephone survey of 61 people with ALS from the University of Michigan’s Motor Neuron Disease Clinic. Results Regarding BCI design, participants prioritized accuracy of command identification of at least 90% (satisfying 84% of respondents), speed of operation comparable to at least 15-19 letters-per-minute (satisfying 72%), and accidental exits from a standby mode not more than once every 2-4 hours (satisfying 84%). While 84% of respondents would accept using an electrode cap, 72% were willing to undergo outpatient surgery and 41% to undergo surgery with a short hospital stay in order to obtain a BCI. Conclusions People with ALS expressed a strong interest in obtaining BCIs, but current BCIs do not yet provide desired BCI performance.

The purpose of the study was to develop and evaluate Taking CHARGE, a self-management intervention designed to facilitate successful transitions to survivorship after breast cancer treatment. The Taking CHARGE intervention involves a two-pronged approach building on self-regulation principles to (1) equip women with self-management skills to address concerns following breast cancer treatment, and (2) provide information about common survivorship topics. The program involved four intervention contacts, two small group meetings and two individualized telephone sessions, delivered by nurse/health educators. This paper focuses on the process evaluation findings from a preliminary test of the Taking CHARGE intervention conducted with 25 women, aged 34-66 years, completing breast cancer treatment, who were randomly assigned to the intervention group. The process evaluation was conducted to obtain systematic information about the relevance and usefulness of the self-regulation approach, informational aspects, and program delivery. The findings indicated that intervention group participants found the Taking CHARGE program to be timely, relevant, and to have high utility in dealing with concerns that exist following breast cancer treatment. The process evaluation findings provide early evidence of the usefulness of the Taking CHARGE intervention for successful transition to survivorship following breast cancer treatment.