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Designing an Interactive Information Tool for People Affected by Cancer: My Journey Alex Hughes, MbR Student, Division of Computing and Games, Abertay University Email: 1602097@abertay.ac.uk 1. Introduction
2. Current Study
Cancer is a devastating disease which is likely to affect everyone during their lifetime, either as patient or as relative or friend of a person affected by cancer. Cancer is accountable for approximately 10 million fatalities every year, making it the second leading cause of death globally (World Health Organisation, 2021). The reach that cancer exhibits worldwide necessitates the use of support methods required for each unique individual affected by cancer.
Data from focus groups were gathered to 1) inform the design of the information tool and 2) make academic contributions to the design community by:
Providing people affected by cancer (PABC) with a preferred method of information delivery enforces knowledge, proficiency and abilities in health care decision making (Ryhanen et al 2009). A mobile platform is a solution for providing convenient, timely information. Multimedia is a favourable method of education and communication due to the ability to support a range of learn capabilities and styles (Wilson et al, 2010). Traditional, written material only permits one method of communication whereas multimedia heightens engagement. The aim of this project is to design a cancer informational tool that will benefit PABC in their cancer journey and inform design solution frameworks.
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Establishing a framework for the creation of a mobile cancer tool based on design principles. Recognising how empathy (first person speech and avatar use) can be used in design to create a sense of understanding for PABC.
Online focus groups were conducted in order to obtain insights and perceptions from PABC which would influence the design of the cancer information tool. Seven PABC participated in the focus groups and completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire was structured to gain insights into participants’ demographics, their cancer information needs and desired format of information delivery. The focus groups aimed to understand participants’ perspectives regarding technology use, empathetic design, and the use of design principles. The participants were at different stages within the cancer journey, and comprised carers, loved ones and people living with or recovering from cancer which allowed the initiation of a variety of responses and considered multiple perspectives.
Figure 2.0: Column chart created from the pre-task questionnaire which displays different methods of information (2021).
5. Key Takeaways & Future Work The study identified the needs PABC may have when accessing support information, recognising the variety of information formats and how all participants have unique preferences. The results demonstrated that PABC may respond differently to empathetic design based on their roles in the cancer journey. Therefore, the design should respond to different roles through the addition of elements such as first-person speech and avatars. The next steps involve designing the cancer information tool based on the input from the participants and applying appropriate design principles to enhance accessibility.
6. Discussion Although the opinions throughout the focus group differed, it was apparent that the influence of design principles can support establishing information as clear and simple which conclusively can assist the absorption of new or challenging information. The following points should be considered when designing the cancer information tool. Figure 1.0: Thematic Map outlining final themes from the data (2021)
3. Methodology
4. Results
The focus group data were transcribed and then analysed employing the method of a thematic analysis. Once several predominant themes had developed, the data set was reread in order to refine the themes and ensure the themes captures the collected data. The thematic analysis concluded with three principal themes, six secondary themes and five sub-themes. These themes portrayed the diverse elements of the data. Figure 1 displays the three key themes as: • • •
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Design Considerations Cancer Information Requirements Supporting PABC
The data provided a strong understanding that PABC will vary in the type and amount of support they would like to receive during their cancer journey. • •
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These key themes capture the principal factors in cancer information requirements and offer a perception towards necessary design considerations for cancer information delivery.
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Useful cancer support information can assist decision making during the cancer journey Information format preferences vary for each individual, and this may be personal preference or influenced by visual impairments, hearing barriers and learning difficulties (see Figure 2) Participants who favoured a humanlike character (avatar) on a smartphone application were people living with or recovering from cancer. Different roles within the cancer journey require different levels of emotional support. Most participants had access to or could operate a smartphone without difficulty, therefore this recognises that a smartphone would be an appropriate platform.
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The variety of stages and positions within the cancer journey shows how cancer can affect people very differently and individually. Responses to empathy can vary and may be influenced by the position in the cancer journey. Each person has unique needs and requirements, therefore how information is presented may be different for everyone (e.g., video or text). Design needs to be carefully applied to help make information appear clear and simple to support people facing visual barriers and learning difficulties. Information should be easy to understand and delivered in small amounts to avoid overwhelming people.
References Bolle, S., Romijn, G., Smets, E., Loos, E., Kunneman, M. and van Weert, J., 2016. Older Cancer Patients’ User Experiences With Web-Based Health Information Tools: A Think-Aloud Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18(7). Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2013. Successful Qualitative Research. 1st ed. SAGE Publications. Posma, E., van Weert, J., Jansen, J. and Bensing, J., 2009. Older cancer patients' information and support needs surrounding treatment: An evaluation through the eyes of patients, relatives and professionals. BMC Nursing, 8(1). Ryhänen, A., Siekkinen, M., Rankinen, S., Korvenranta, H. and Leino-Kilpi, H., 2009. The effects of Internet or interactive computer-based patient education in the field of breast cancer: A systematic literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 79(1), pp.5-13. Who.int. 2021. Cancer. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer> [Accessed May 2021]. Wilson, E., Wolf, M., Curtis, L., Clayman, M., Cameron, K., Eigen, K. and Makoul, G., 2010. Literacy, Cognitive Ability, and the Retention of Health-Related Information About Colorectal Cancer Screening. Journal of Health Communication, 15(sup2), pp.116-125.
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