Assessing costs and outcomes of providing computer support to underserved women with breast cancer: A work in progress

Abstract

This project tests the feasibility of using the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) Network to disseminate an online cancer communication system (CHESS) to underserved women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The project began by conducting needs assessments to identify barriers and facilitators to the use of online cancer information and support by underserved people. We used that information to improve the appropriateness of CHESS for underserved audiences. We are now: § Assessing the ability of the CIS Telephone Service and Partnership Program to identify and recruit to CHESS, underserved women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. A home-based computer and Internet access is provided to those who lack it. We will assess what proportion of them use CHESS and how. § Determining what impact CHESS has on participation in health care, social support, information seeking, functional wellbeing, negative emotions and breast cancer concerns. Examining the cost effectiveness of these efforts to reduce the digital divide. We will use the results to determine what improvements in identification, recruitment, training and support processes, as well as in CHESS itself would be needed to justify a wide-scale, CIS-based CHESS implementation.