Ascertaining breast cancer patient experiences through a journey map: A qualitative study protocol

Integrating Human-Centered Design Methods Into a Health Promotion Project: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education Case Study for Intervention Design

BACKGROUND

Human-centered design, or design thinking, offers an extensive toolkit of methods and strategies for user-centered engagement that lends itself well to intervention development and implementation. These methods can be applied to the fields of public health and medicine to design interventions that may be more feasible and viable in real-world contexts than those developed with different methods.

OBJECTIVE

The design team aimed to develop approaches to building food skills among caregivers of children aged 0-5 years who are eligible for a federal food assistance program while they were in the grocery store.

METHODS

They applied 3 specific human-centered design methods-Extremes and Mainstreams, Journey Mapping, and Co-Creation Sessions-to collaboratively develop intervention approaches to enhance Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) reach and impact across food retail settings. Extremes and Mainstreams is a specific kind of purposive sampling that selects individuals based on characteristics beyond demographics. Journey Mapping is a visual tool that asks individuals to identify key moments and decision points during an experience. Co-Creation Sessions are choreographed opportunities for individuals to explicitly contribute to the design of a solution alongside research or design team members.

RESULTS

Ten caregivers with diverse lived experiences were selected to participate in remote design thinking workshops and create individual journey maps to depict their grocery store experiences. Common happy points and pain points were identified. Nine stakeholders, including caregivers, SNAP-Ed staff, and grocery store dieticians, cocreated 2 potential intervention approaches informed by caregivers' experiences and needs: a rewards program and a meal box option.

CONCLUSIONS

These 3 human-centered design methods led to a meaningful co-design process where proposed interventions aligned with caregivers' wants and needs. This case study provides other public health practitioners with specific examples of how to use these methods in program development and stakeholder engagement as well as lessons learned when adapting these methods to remote settings.

Experiences of Patients in Turkey with Breast Cancer throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic and their Coping Mechanisms: A Qualitative Study

This research was conducted in Turkey to determine the experiences and coping mechanisms of breast cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was conducted using qualitative descriptive phenomenology. Data were collected from ten patients via in-depth interviews through semi-structured questionnaires. Content analysis, incorporating a combination of deductive and inductive approaches, was conducted to determine the themes and subthemes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, simultaneously with the analysis and collected data. The study data were categorized into 3 contexts, 7 themes and 39 subthemes. The first context titled "Problems accompanying the disease" includes the effects of the pandemic, the fear of being infected with COVID-19 and hospital-related themes. The second context titled "Coping strategies" comprises the themes of coping behaviors and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The last context is titled "Anxiety about being infected, and suggestions for the future". In the study, problems experienced by patients with breast cancer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated from a broad perspective. Patients treated in chemotherapy units constitute the vulnerable group affected by the pandemic most. Therefore, it is important to investigate the experiences of oncology patients, particularly of patients with breast cancer and their coping strategies, and to take necessary precautions accordingly.

Understanding the surgeon's behaviour during robot-assisted surgery: protocol for the qualitative Behav'Robot study

INTRODUCTION

Robot-assisted surgery is spreading worldwide, accounting for more than 1.2 million procedures in 2019. Data are sparse in the literature regarding the surgeon's mechanisms that mediate risk-taking during a procedure, especially robot-assisted. This study aims to describe and understand the behaviour of the surgeons during robot-assisted surgery and the change in their behaviour with increasing experience in using the robot.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a qualitative study using semistructured interviews with surgeons who perform robot-assisted surgery. An interview guide comprising open questions will be used to ensure that the points to be discussed are systematically addressed during each interview (ie, (1) difference in behaviour and preparation of the surgeon between a standard procedure and a robot-assisted procedure; (2) the influence of proprioceptive modifications, gain in stability and cognitive biases, inherent in the use of a surgical robot and (3) the intrinsic effect of the learning curve on the behaviour of the surgeons. After transcription, interviews will be analysed with the help of NVivo software, using thematic analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Since this project examines professional practices in the field of social and human sciences, ethics committee was not required in accordance with current French legislation (Decree no 2017-884, 9 May 2017). Consent from the surgeons is implied by the fact that the interviews are voluntary. Surgeons will nonetheless be informed that they are free to interrupt the interview at any time.Results will be presented in peer-reviewed national and international congresses and submitted to peer-reviewed journals for publication. The communication and publication of the results will be placed under the responsibility of the principal investigator and publications will be prepared in compliance with the ICMJE uniform requirements for manuscripts.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04869995.

Mapping Information Needs of Patients With Sexually Transmitted Infections Using Web-Based Data Sources: Grounded Theory Investigation

Background

According to the World health organization (WHO), more than 1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired each day across the world. The incidence rates of STIs in the United States are at a record high for the fourth consecutive year. Owing to the stigma associated with the incidence of STI, there is a general reluctance to seek information in person. Instead, web-based information sources remain the primary avenues of information-seeking. However, these sources are designed without a comprehensive understanding of the information needs of individuals who have contracted STIs.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the information needs of individuals who have or suspect they have contracted an STI. A better understanding of their information needs can drive the design of more effective digital interventions.

Methods

This is a qualitative and analytical study of 549 transcripts (consisting of queries posted over the last 10 years) from web-based forums of the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), which allows patients, volunteers, and health care providers connect anonymously. The analysis follows a grounded theory (GT) approach with multiple coding stages to uncover categories and themes.

Results

Three categories of information needs emerged. The first two, clinical and logistical, are similar to other contexts. However, our analysis shows that there is a significant need for the last category—psychosocial information. Approximately 59% of instances are linked to concerns such as confusion, discretion, remorse, and others. These needs vary across the stages of a patient’s journey from symptom manifestation to treatment maintenance.

Conclusions

Responding to the needs of individuals who have or suspect they have contracted an STI requires compassionate and personalized responses (beyond factual clinical and logistical information). Web-based forums provide anonymity but do not adequately incorporate mechanisms, practices, or incentives to respond to diverse psychosocial concerns. Innovative approaches to add such support can make the digital interventions more effective for this group of individuals.

Breast cancer patient experiences through a journey map: A qualitative study

Background

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases in women. Prevention and treatments have lowered mortality; nevertheless, the impact of the diagnosis and treatment continue to impact all aspects of patients’ lives (physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual).

Objective

This study seeks to explore the experiences of the different stages women with breast cancer go through by means of a patient journey.

Methods

This is a qualitative study in which 21 women with breast cancer or survivors were interviewed. Participants were recruited at 9 large hospitals in Spain and intentional sampling methods were applied. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview that was elaborated with the help of medical oncologists, nurses, and psycho-oncologists. Data were processed by adopting a thematic analysis approach.

Results

The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer entails a radical change in patients’ day-to-day that linger in the mid-term. Seven stages have been defined that correspond to the different medical processes: diagnosis/unmasking stage, surgery/cleaning out, chemotherapy/loss of identity, radiotherapy/transition to normality, follow-up care/the “new” day-to-day, relapse/starting over, and metastatic/time-limited chronic breast cancer. The most relevant aspects of each are highlighted, as are the various cross-sectional aspects that manifest throughout the entire patient journey.

Conclusions

Comprehending patients’ experiences in depth facilitates the detection of situations of risk and helps to identify key moments when more precise information should be offered. Similarly, preparing the women for the process they must confront and for the sequelae of medical treatments would contribute to decreasing their uncertainty and concern, and to improving their quality-of-life.