CanSORT has developed and conceptualized a variety of tools and interventions for women with early-stage breast cancer and their clinicians. In both past and current projects, they have partnered nationally with the American College of Surgeons and locally with the Center for Health Communications Research to develop user friendly and professional looking tools that have the most up to date and accurate information on risks and benefits of the various treatment options available in breast cancer. Using an early prototype of an online decision tool, CanSORT determined that this intervention approach can be effective to help women work with their doctors to make high quality decisions about breast cancer tests and treatments. Women who viewed the CanSORT tool had greater knowledge about risks and benefits of treatments than women who had no access to the tool.
As part of the iCanCare study, CanSORT is evaluating an enhanced, interactive decision tool called iCanDecide via a randomized controlled trial running in more than a dozen Detroit-area and Atlanta surgical oncology practices. This tool focuses on three critical areas to help women make informed and quality decisions about their breast cancer:
- Key facts that are essential to making informed decisions about breast cancer are presented
- Treatment Priorities for each patient are individually and scientifically determined by having women indicate their treatment preferences in a pair-wise decision making task.
- Strategies to use with your doctor are suggested to women to aid them in asking key questions, obtaining second opinions, and sharing their thoughts and preferences with their doctors. In addition, an individually tailored results sheet is generated by iCanDecide. Women are encouraged to take these sheets to the next doctor’s appointment to discuss.