SBIR-STTR Award

Women concerned about breast cancer are not always able to obtain the information they want or need. Pertinent information is best obtained from personal dialogue with expert health professionals. However, the current constraints on doctors' and nurses' time do not always allow for a complete education of each patient, and many women do not know what questions to ask. In an effort to enhance patients' knowledge about breast health issues, the researchers propose to use a voice-activated multimedia model to allow women to conduct a virtual interview of a female oncologist whose video images have been stored on a CD-ROM. This user-controlled, highly interactive model will allow concerned female patients to gain knowledge about breast cancer and other breast health issues that can help them communicate more effectively about their own health status with the physician and/or nurse. The program will be field tested at the Lombardi CancerCenter of Georgetown University by female patients of diverse ages, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds to determine the feasibility and user acceptance of this innovative technology, its educational effectiveness, and its potential impact on patient/health professional communication. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This product will be made available to breast health clinics, women's health centers, hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), private practices, and community clinics.

Thesaurus Terms:
breast neoplasm, computer human interaction, computer system design /evaluation, educational resource design /development, health education, interactive multimedia, interview, speech recognition DVD /CD ROM, computer program /software, computer simulation, dyadic interaction, female human subject

Women's need for basic information about breast cancer, and the constraints on the time that health care providers have to educate their patients about the disease, are issues addressed in this proposal. In Phase I, IDI produced and field tested three voice-activated programs that allow women with and without breast cancer to engage in "face-to- face" virtual dialogues with an oncologist, a nurse practitioner, and a breast cancer survivor. The research findings showed that significant learning gain concerning breast self-exam, risk factors, risk reduction, early detection, diagnostic procedures, and treatment occurred with this method, Also, subjects reported increased feelings of confidence regarding their ability to communicate with health professionals and distinct feelings of emotional support from their virtual dialogues. In Phase II, IDI will enhance and expand the Patient Education on Breast Cancer Series and specifically evaluate the capability of the virtual dialogue method to enhance communication between patients and health care providers. Five additional programs will be developed to include additional breast cancer experts and survivor perspectives. The programs will be field tested at the Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University and on three campuses of George Mason University by female subjects of diverse ages, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This unique product will be made available to breast health clinics, women's health centers, hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), private practices, and community clinics.

Thesaurus Terms:
breast neoplasm, computer human interaction, computer simulation, educational resource design /development, health education, interactive multimedia, interview, speech recognition DVD /CD ROM, computer program /software, computer system design /evaluation, dyadic interaction, female human subject