Use and Impact of eHealth System by Low-income Women With Breast Cancer

• HIT Description: Consumer health informatics, patient decision support More info...
  
• Purpose of Study: assess feasibility of reaching underserved women with breast cancer with an eHealth system and the impact of the system on these women
  
• Years of study: Not Available
  
• Study Design: historical control
  
• Outcomes: impact on patient satisfaction, impact on health care effectiveness and quality
  

• Settings: breast cancer patients from Detroit and from rural Wisconsis who were living at or below 250% of the federal poverty line.
• Intervention: All participants were loaned a computer, given internet access, and received CHESS, an eHealth application that integrates 12 services to improve breast cancer patient quality of life. Participants were randomized to having a peer advocate to provide support in the use of CHESS, or not. Participants' use was compated to patients in a previous study.
• Evaluation Method: web browser to track every web page visited by participants, quality of life and health information competence questionnaires.
• Description: CHESS is an internet-based system which includes information services, support services and decision services
• Strategy: all participants received 1 hour of personal training in using the computer, the internet and CHESS
• Facilitators: all participants were loaned a computer and given 4 months free internet access
• Quality of Care and Patient Safety Outcome: CHESS users were superior to the control group in terms of social support, negative emotions, participation in health care and information competence