2654 - Comparative Assessment of a Digital Multimedia Tool for Prostate Cancer Patient Consultations

Purpose/Objective(s): In 2024, our cancer center began using a digital tool to add audiovisual media to initial prostate cancer consults. An initial pilot study showed high rates of patient satisfaction. Physicians positively reviewed the tool as helping improve patient experiences and clinical efficiency. This study further assesses the tool with surveys comparing a consult at our center using the tool to those at others without the tool and whether the tool helped our physicians provide a differentiating consult experience.

Materials/Methods: In a prospective, IRB-approved study, 31 patients and 9 caregivers from a single institution underwent initial consults with a physician who used the tool as an educational aid. After the visit, participants completed surveys corresponding to their role, comparing the impact of the tool on the overall consult to other visits that they had previously experienced without the tool. Questions were in yes/no format, with space for written comments. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: The survey results are listed in the table below. All patients and caregivers reported an improved consult experience with the tool, making their diagnosis easier to understand and better preparing them to make treatment decisions. Ninety percent of patients and 78% of caregivers reported the tool improved their confidence in the physician and the cancer center. One patient wrote that the visual learning tool “should become the standard,” with 100% of patients and caregivers agreeing in a similar survey question. All patients reported that they would recommend the tool to others. Physician responses showed greater than 90% rates of perceived improved patient connection, differentiation of their practice and center from others, and increased efficiency. One physician comment stated that the “brachytherapy video demo was helpful for patient understanding.”

Conclusion: Use of the digital tool resulted in a significantly enhanced consult experience for patients, caregivers, and physicians. This study shows that, when using this digital health tool for cancer consults, our patients felt more educated about their diagnosis and treatment options and had increased confidence in their physician, setting our center apart from others. Although larger cohorts are needed, our results suggest a future where digital tools become the standard of care for improving communication in cancer care.