Improving Modern Cancer Care Through Information Technology

Abstract

The cancer care system is increasingly complex, marked by multiple hand-offs between primary care and specialty providers, inadequate communication among providers, and lack of clarity about a “medical home” (the ideal accountable care provider) for cancer patients. Patients and families often cite such difficulties as information deficits, uncoordinated care, and insufficient psychosocial support. This article presents a review of the challenges of delivering well coordinated, patient-centered cancer care in a complex modern healthcare system. An examination is made of the potential role of information technology (IT) advances to help both providers and patients. Using the published literature as background, a review is provided of selected work that is underway to improve communication, coordination, and quality of care. Also discussed are additional challenges and opportunities to advancing understanding of how patient data, provider and patient involvement, and informatics innovations can support high-quality cancer care.

Identifying Early Dehydration Risk With Home-Based Sensors During Radiation Treatment: A Feasibility Study on Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

“…Reviewing patient data in CYCORE did not present an undue time burden relative to other clinical demands, and the system was perceived as being easy to use. Health-care providers' willingness to adopt technology-based interventions is a critical factor in the successful diffusion of new applications such as CYCORE into clinical care (34,35). CYCORE was developed with extensive requirements gathered from a diverse group of stakeholders in an iterative process, including the HNC clinicians who participated in this study (19).…”

The expanding role of primary care in cancer control

“…286,287 Electronic communication between patients and physicians could bring about individualised care and make information readily accessible across diff erent health-care settings. 288 In primary care, patients and health-care providers alike have expressed comfort with the notion of using electronic communication, such as email, as a means to facilitate care processes, 289 and evidence suggests that electronic patient-physician communication can lead to improved clinical and patient-reported outcomes.…”

Review of Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes Systems Used in Cancer Clinical Care

“…1 Simultaneously, Internet use spans ages, races/ethnicities, and incomes, partly as a result of increased access via laptops and handheld devices. 2 HIT promotes high-quality, patient-centered cancer care 3 by collecting and incorporating standardized patient-reported information into clinical settings.…”