the role of cis in enabling informed decision making marion e. morra, m.a. montreal 2012

The Role of CIS in Enabling Informed Decision Making

Marion E. Morra, M.A.

Montreal 2012

Need for Informed Decision Making in Cancer

• Importance• Patients, family members need

information• Right questions to ask

• Challenging• Complex medical information• Uncertainty regarding disease its

treatments and their outcomes

Benefits of Informed Decision Making in Cancer

• Benefits both patients and health professionals• Compromises care delivery and patient

satisfaction (Back AL, Arnold RM, Tulsky JA et al. Teaching communication skills to medical oncology fellows. JClinc Oncol 21:2433-2436)

• Relationship between quality of physician-patient communication and variety of outcomes, including• Symptom management, adherence to

treatment, accrual to clinical trials (Perocchia FS, Kodorowski JK, Williams LA, et al. Patient Centered Communication in Cancer Care: Role of the CIS. J Cancer Education DOI; 10.1007/s13187-010-0121-y)

Other Providers of Information

• Impact care and health outcomes• Play pivotal role in decision making• Facilitate access to information• Provide decision aids and other

resources• Preserve patient-doctor relationship

Cancer Information Service (CIS) as a Provider

• One-on-one personalized interaction with trained information specialist (phone, e-mail, social media)

• Provides evidence-based, up to date information; not medical advice

• Supports doctor-patient relationship• Helps patient, family members understand

and make decisions based on his/her preferences and values

Lessons we’ve learned

• It’s a small, small world … sharing best practices and expertise

• Well-trained staff who can give credible, accurate, up to date information

• Opportunity for patients and family members to share fears and doubts with someone who can listen and answer their questions

• Working side by side with health professionals

Lessons learned

• Measuring quality is essential, external and internal

• External: Satisfaction and actions, patients, families

• Internal performance measures– Meeting caller’s needs – Information: accurate, complete, address

caller’s needs, concerns

Lessons learned

• Assessment: complete, tailored to the caller’s needs and questions

• Caller’s understanding: checked? Technical terms explained?

• Organization: information communicated in an organized, logical manner? In a professional, credible, empathetic way?

Resources

• Marion Morra: morram@earthlink.net• ICISG e-mail: info@icisg.org• ICISG Website: www.icisg.org

• Tool box for program operations• Using social media in Cancer Information

Services