MyTailoredTalks for CT-Guided Biopsy

Context

According to NHS England, lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. More than 43,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK. The current pathway from initial suspicion to diagnosis is a complex and multifaceted one, requiring interactions and consultations with several different healthcare professionals in a variety of health care settings.

Project aim

This project was to determine the number of patients who would engage with a digital information portal and to amend an existing digital solution and produce relevant content to improve information-sharing. This would enable clinicians to easily identify patients who need further information to support their decision-making process and significantly reduce the risk of patients who were unable to have the procedure carried out. A pilot period of 6 months was carried out to determine the % of patients who registered and used the system. The app was to enable the patient to be more knowledgeable about the procedure, the risks and benefits of having it done, and reduce the amount of time the clinicians were having to discuss these with the patients.

Problem

Often there is a high late cancellation rate for biopsies, as patients realise late in the decision-making process that the risks of the procedure are more onerous than they thought. Late cancellations mean that slots for the procedure cannot be offered to other patients, leading to loss of the slot altogether at an approximate cost of £1,000.

Solution

Using the existing platform of MyTailoredTalks, the clinical team made short films to take patients through the journey of having a CT-guided biopsy. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire upon viewing the videos to gauge their understanding of the procedure. The patients could also make use of a call back button which alerted the clinical team if they had further questions or concerns.

Evaluation

The evaluation plan drew data from the following sources:

1. Data from the manual time recording sheets were compared to those who haven’t used the platform to those who have used the MyTailoredTalks platform, and this was also compared to time recording sheets prior to the pilot commencing.

2. Verbal feedback from patients and staff allowed us to make real time changes to the pathway with an aim to increase its usability.

3. Answers from patient evaluation questionnaires in MyTailoredTalks and verbal feedback at their appointments were collated for an overall view of their understanding of the procedure.

4. Evaluation questionnaires from staff were obtained around use/acceptability/practicality.

Results

The feedback from patients who registered and viewed the videos was positive. “Useful, informative, easy to understand”, “Watched video, found discussion on complications difficult but informative”

There were mixed reviews from the clinical staff as to the efficiency of having to register the patients on the system. “I feel the process is very repetitive and have to wait for a code each time to get into the site”. Although the clinical team reported that patients that watched the videos had a better understanding of what the procedure entailed -v- those that did not watch the videos.