Patient and Healthcare Provider Perspectives on the Implementation of a Web-Based Clinical Communication System for...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Informatics
• Patient Care

Background:

• Communication and care coordination issues are prevalent in cancer care.
• Healthcare providers (HCPs) face challenges with incompatible electronic medical records (EMR) and report distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an asynchronous web-based system, eOncoNote, for enhancing communication between primary care providers and cancer specialists.
• To examine patient perceptions of eOncoNote's role in their healthcare.
• To understand HCPs' experiences implementing eOncoNote.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with patients diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer, primary care providers, and cancer specialists.
• Eighteen patients and fourteen HCPs participated in the study.
• Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes from the interviews.

Main Results:

• Six themes emerged from patient interviews regarding HCP/patient roles in care coordination and patient awareness of inter-provider communication.
• Four themes emerged from HCP interviews concerning care coordination context and eOncoNote implementation.
• Both patient and HCP groups highlighted the significant role of patients and caregivers in care coordination.
• Patients were frequently unaware of communication occurring between their HCPs, often assuming it happened.

Conclusions:

• Patients' lack of awareness regarding inter-provider communication underscores a critical gap in cancer care coordination.
• While eOncoNote shows potential, HCPs experienced workflow integration challenges, indicating a need for optimized implementation strategies.