3723 - Utility of a Digital Tool for Optimizing Patient Understanding during Treatment Decision Making Discussions for Prostate Cancer

Purpose/Objective(s): Patients with prostate cancer typically have multiple treatment options. Communicating the amount of complex information to patients and their families can be challenging and, oftentimes, overwhelming. Visual communication tools may provide better solutions to explain and reinforce key concepts to patients and their families, potentially improving the quality of the initial consultation.

Materials/Methods: A QI project was performed to include 20 patients who were seen in a single hospital for consultation for newly diagnosed prostate cancer. A visual communication tool, MyCaregorithm, was utilized to discuss the disease entity and treatment options. The patients, caregivers, and physician then completed 6 questions and a free text questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of this platform to inform and educate patients and families at the time of consultation.

Results: From October of 2024 through to January of 2025, 20 consecutive newly diagnosed prostate patients were consulted by a single physician at a single Radiation Oncology clinic. 13 of the 20 patients presented with one or more companions. 20/20 (100%) patients felt the tool was positive along 6 questions including 1. Improving understanding of the disease 2. Improving understanding of the treatment options 3. Visual images enhancing the ability to understand the medical condition 4. Enhancing the consultation experience 5. Recommending the tool to others 6. Planning to review this visual tool and information again. 13/13 (100%) of companions found these 6 points were positive. In all 20 consultations, the physician also found use of this visual tool to facilitate improved communication and enhance the quality of the consultation. Of the 20 patients seen, 13 of 20 proceeded or planned to proceed with radiation treatments with the consultative physician. 5 of 20 patients decided upon active surveillance and planned to remain within the healthcare system. 1 of 20 patients was undecided and 1 of 20 patients decided to proceed with surgery with his referring urologist.

Conclusion: A visual communication tool used at the time of consultation was found to be unanimously useful to patients, companions, and physicans, alike, to improving communication and understanding of a complex consultation process. Use of this visual communication tool may facilitate retention of patients for further management and care.