Articulating a Patient-Centered Design Space for Cancer Journeys

Abstract

Cancer journeys, encompassing patients’ cancer experiences through survivorship, are complex and diverse. Individuals must cope with numerous physical and emotional challenges, balancing clinical tasks alongside responsibilities of daily life. Understanding the breadth of factors that contribute to a patient’s cancer experience presents a critical challenge in developing holistic patient-centered technology. To further our understanding of the cancer journey, we conducted focus groups and interviews with 31 breast cancer patients. We present a cancer journey framework depicting the responsibilities, challenges, and personal impacts patients face while transitioning from diagnosis through post-treatment survivorship. Through this work, we aim to aid the development of health tools that consider a patient’s cancer journey and health needs more broadly, supporting patient’s health management alongside the complexities and priorities of daily life.