Tokuo Umeda PhD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Akiko Okawa MBBS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tsutomu Gomi PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kenta Miwa RT, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shuji Yamamoto PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hidenobu Tachibana PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The number of cancer patients is increasing and chemotherapy of cancer patients is shifting to outpatient-based therapy. Such outpatient therapy often results in a shortage of communication between the medical staff and patient, and may lead to an increase in uneasiness in the patient. We developed a support system that provides outpatient cancer chemotherapy patients the same effect as those receiving inpatient cares.

A social networking service (SNS) system was developed using the OpenPNE engine. The transmission and acceptance between a patient and a medical institution are performed on the Internet to which safety was ensured.

The system includes a side effect self-diagnosis system, a patient community system, and an information service system. The side effect self-diagnostics system allows the patient to diagnose their own side effects. In addition, the patient and the medical staff can share the side effect data. The patient community system consists of a blog, community, and messaging functions. The information service system allows searching and inspection of information about medical treatment or side effects. Furthermore, contributions and edits of objective information (medical information) and subjective information (experience, etc.) are also possible. The usability test of this system was carried out with 28 men and women (age range; 21 – 57 years old, average; 38.5 years old). Although one subject required the manual to operate the system, task completion percentage was 100%. The system developed here can be used for patients in the age group unfamiliar with personal computers.

The side effect self-diagnostics system and blog function allow both patients and medical staff to gain a detailed understanding of the patients’ side effects. Moreover, exchange of information between medical staff and patients is possible using the bulletin board system as part of the community function. Furthermore, the information service system was useful not only for information gathering about medical treatment or side effects, but also for conveying the experiences of the patients themselves to others.

By use of the development system, the information between a medical staff and a patient became exchangeable. Moreover, in use by an imitation patient, task completion percentage was 100%.

Umeda, T, Okawa, A, Gomi, T, Miwa, K, Yamamoto, S, Tachibana, H, Development of Self-Management Support System for Cancer Outpatients.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12031838.html