Visual Communication Tool for Cancer

Overseen By Julie Xiao

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Disqualifiers: Non-English, Other disease sites, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if a new visual communication tool can clarify and enhance the cancer treatment process for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The tool explains the disease, treatment options, and what patients can expect during their treatment journey. Individuals newly diagnosed with breast or head and neck cancer who receive care at NYU Langone Health might be suitable candidates. Participants must be comfortable speaking English, as the tool is currently available only in that language. As an unphased trial, this study provides patients the opportunity to contribute to innovative approaches in cancer care communication.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this visual communication tool is safe for patients with cancer?

Research has shown that visual tools are popular in healthcare. Both patients and doctors prefer using these tools to explain cancer treatments. This support indicates that the tools are safe and unlikely to cause harm.

Although specific data on negative effects is lacking, these tools primarily present information visually, suggesting they pose low risk. Visual aids enhance understanding and communication, making them a valuable part of patient care. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Visual Communication Tool for cancer patients because it offers a new way to enhance understanding during a crucial time. Unlike current approaches that rely heavily on verbal explanations and printed materials, this tool provides a visual representation of a patient’s cancer, including its location and stage, as well as details about radiation treatment. This visual approach can help patients and their caregivers better grasp complex information, potentially leading to more informed decision-making and greater peace of mind during treatment planning.

What evidence suggests that this visual communication tool is effective for increasing patient satisfaction in cancer care?

Research has shown that pictures and diagrams can facilitate the sharing of medical information. In this trial, participants will receive a Visual Communication Tool during their consultation to explain their disease location and stage, the role of radiation, logistics of radiation treatment delivery, and sequencing of treatment. Studies have found that visual aids used by doctors during cancer treatment discussions enhance patient understanding and communication. These tools simplify complex details, such as cancer stage and treatment options. One study found that visual aids helped patients feel more prepared for their treatments. Consequently, both patients and healthcare providers support using these tools to improve the cancer treatment experience. ^{4 5 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jason Domogauer, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator

NYU Langone Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for newly diagnosed cancer patients. It aims to see if a visual communication tool can help them, their caregivers, and healthcare providers by improving satisfaction with the treatment experience.

Inclusion Criteria

Patients treated at NYU Langone Health for their malignancy

Willing and able to provide consent

Willing and able to provide consent

Exclusion Criteria

Unable to complete the survey portion of the study independently

I have cancer in parts of the body not listed in the criteria.

Patient unable to complete the survey portion of the study independently

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Consultation and Tool Integration

Participants receive a visual communication tool during the patient consultation to explain their disease and treatment options, followed by a survey

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants, caregivers, and providers complete satisfaction surveys to assess the effectiveness of the visual communication tool

1 day

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Visual Communication Tool

Trial Overview The study is testing a digital visual communication tool designed to enhance understanding of cancer treatment options. The goal is to assess whether this tool increases overall satisfaction among patients, caregivers, and medical professionals.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Patients (and caregivers) recently diagnosed with cancer Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Enrolled patients will receive a tool during the patient consultation encounter to explain their disease location and stage, role of radiation, logistics of radiation treatment delivery and sequencing of treatment. Following the encounter, a survey will be provided. If patients are accompanied by a caregiver(s), they will also receive a survey.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

NYU Langone Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,431

Recruited

838,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Open, honest, and timely communication between clinicians and cancer patients is crucial, as it has been shown to reduce anxiety, especially when discussing life expectancy and prognosis.

While techniques that encourage patient participation in decision-making lead to greater satisfaction, they do not necessarily reduce distress, highlighting the need for personalized communication strategies that consider individual patient preferences.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Clinician-patient communication: a systematic review. Rodin, G., Mackay, JA., Zimmermann, C., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11165863/

The effectiveness of visual-based interventions on health ... Based on these findings, we encourage the adoption of visual tools for medical information purposes to set up innovative, effective, and fair ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738399124002660

The immediate, intermediate, and long-term effectiveness ... Developing and evaluating multimedia patient education tools to better prepare prostate-cancer patients for radiotherapy treatment (randomized study). J Cancer ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-neoplasms-3-2025-7557b

Visual Communication Tool for Cancer · Info for Participants What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Visual Communication Tool for cancer? Research shows that tools like patient-reported outcome measures ...

4. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/jamia/article/32/3/480/7958420

Communicating cancer treatment with pictogram-based ... Both patients and physicians support integrating these tools into cancer treatment communication. oncology, treatment communication, visual aids, data ...

5. ro-journal.biomedcentral.com ro-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13014-023-02312-6

Effectiveness of multimedia courses in improving self-care ... ... effectiveness of a multimedia education tool in lung ... education tools are valuable in improving the quality of care for cancer patients.

6. cancer.gov cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/adjusting-to-cancer/communication-hp-pdq

Communication in Cancer Care (PDQ®) - NCI NURSE: Tools for responding to emotion. Communication is challenging for cancer providers because it often involves conveying serious news, such ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/381213785_Visual_aids_for_communicating_cancer_treatment_paths_A_questionnaire_study

(PDF) Visual aids for communicating cancer treatment paths Both patients and physicians support integrating these tools into cancer treatment communication. ... Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool-Printable ...

8. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399117300678

A systematic review of computer-supported visual aids Visual aids and visualizations can be beneficial tools to enhance understanding and transparency of quantitative cancer information [22]. This review summarizes ...