digi-do - a digital information tool to help patients diagnosed with breast cancer

Conditions: Breast Cancer

Summary: this project uses participatory design combined with qualitative and quantitative methods to develop, explore and evaluate the usefulness of a digital information tool to prepare and support patients before, during and after rt as treatment for breast cancer.

the study is a prospective and longitudinal randomised control trial (rct) study with an action research (ar) participatory design approach, including mixed-method data collection, i.e., standardised instruments, interviews (face-to-face and telephone), diaries, observation, and time measurements. the timeline for the study is scheduled between autumn 2020 to spring 2022. the study will consist of two arms: a) an intervention group (n=80), who will receive standard care and information and the digital information tool; and b) a control group (n=80) who will receive standard care and information (verbal and written). recruitment and randomisation will be completed at two hospitals in the south western part of sweden. as a pre-phase, a pilot study was performed for the development and testing of the digital information tool (digi-do), approved by the regional ethics committee (dnr 917-17) with 30 patients in total (15 women with breast cancer and 15 men with prostate cancer). according to the study's co-design, iterative methodology \[26-27 in manuscript\], changes have since been made to the digital information tool and a second version has now been developed for the full rct. the present study has been approved by the swedish ethical review authority (dnr 2020-00170). an ongoing systematic literature review will also guide the present study, and the project is registered in prospero (prospero;168073). the digital information tool applied in this project is divided into two separate but coherent applications (apps) for mobile devices: one (vr-app) with a guided tour of the rt-department with a voice-over to describe 360 images to create a sense of actually having visited the department prior to start of rt, and one (information app) containing information obtained through the pre-treatment phase. if a vr-effect is not desirable, the patient can complete the simulated study-visit on their mobile phone or tablet as well as present the images in the browser of an integrated media player. three areas of information are available in the information app: 1) q\&as from the existing written information, presented both in writing and a recorded voice; 2) practical information, such as maps, public transportation options with relevant links to public transport, telephone numbers, and information about possibilities for staying at the patient hotel; and 3) three short animated films about cancer and physical activity during rt.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: adult patients (\>18 years): * diagnosed with breast cancer, stage i-ii not receiving adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy or anti-her-2 treatment and * with rt as additional treatment after surgery. * ability to read, write and understand swedish enough to adhere to the digital information tool and the applied instruments. * that have access to a smartphone. exclusion criteria: * not receiving rt have had rt before * diagnosed with dementia

Keywords: digital technology radiotherapy (rt) patient information virtual reality (vr)