VIRTUAL DIALOGUE METHOD FOR PATIENT EDUCATION

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Women's need for basic information about breast cancer, and the constraints on the time that health care providers have to educate their patients about the disease, are issues addressed in this proposal. In Phase I, IDI produced and field tested three voice-activated programs that allow women with and without breast cancer to engage in "face-to- face" virtual dialogues with an oncologist, a nurse practitioner, and a breast cancer survivor. The research findings showed that significant learning gain concerning breast self-exam, risk factors, risk reduction, early detection, diagnostic procedures, and treatment occurred with this method, Also, subjects reported increased feelings of confidence regarding their ability to communicate with health professionals and distinct feelings of emotional support from their virtual dialogues. In Phase II, IDI will enhance and expand the Patient Education on Breast Cancer Series and specifically evaluate the capability of the virtual dialogue method to enhance communication between patients and health care providers. Five additional programs will be developed to include additional breast cancer experts and survivor perspectives. The programs will be field tested at the Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University and on three campuses of George Mason University by female subjects of diverse ages, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: This unique product will be made available to breast health clinics, women's health centers, hospitals, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), private practices, and community clinics.