Facilitating Oncology Patient-Clinician Communication Via E-health Innovations

The Internet-based program CaringGuidance™ After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and its new electronic Summary Report (CGSR) tool are hypothesized to empower patients to raise their emotional and social concerns during oncology consultations and assist medical oncology clinicians in identifying patient needs. This study will assess satisfaction and feasibility of clinical use of the new patient guided, Internet-based CGSR to support patient-clinician communication in the outpatient breast oncology clinic. Participants will have access to the CaringGuidance™ program for home use on computer or mobile device. Following this, paricipants will meet with an investigator prior to a medical oncology appointment and create a CGSR on an iPad while they talk through the process. These assessments will help characterize the emotional state at the time of working with the program and the CGSR. Participants will take the CGSR into their oncology appointment, record the appointment if she and the physician have consented to this, and use the CGSR as much or as little as desired. Data will be analyzed primarily qualitatively to determine participant's appraisal of the functionality, content satisfaction and usability of the CGSR and communication patterns, topics discussed during the appointment and patient/clinician satisfaction with communication during the appointment when the CGSR was available for use.