Effective Co-Creation Tool Development for Shared Understanding and Active Communication for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

To improve the quality of life of cancer patients, patient experience (PE) must be improved along with the overall treatment process. This study aimed to develop an effective and practical co-design tool to improve the healthcare service experience of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) in various factors. The research consisted of four phases: (1) HNC PE categories for healthcare improvement were identified through systematic review, user interviews, and observation; (2) a focus group meeting was held to materialize the card design; (3) a structured and visual card set was developed for stakeholders to share the content and discuss improvements in PE effectively; (4) to evaluate the feasibility of the developed cards, a co-creation workshop with HNC medical staffs was conducted. From the workshop using insight cards, we identified the differences in the medical staff’s and patients’ perspectives on the factors for improving HNC PE in each stage of the treatment journey. Pat Exp Insight Cards as experience-based co-design (EBCD) tools can be useful for stakeholders to empathize with the specific pain points and needs of patients with HNC and to discuss improvement plans efficiently.