An Evaluation of the Usability and Usefulness of a Multi-language Online Patient Education Module

Primary Outcome Measures:

• Patients will be asked to give their rating (Likert scale) on the usefulness of the information on the patient education site with regard to their upcoming radiation simulation and treatment. [ Time Frame: Within one month of patients initial consultation with the Radiation Oncologist ]
  

Secondary Outcome Measures:

• Patients will be asked to give their rating (Likert scale) on how easily the online patient education module is to navigate. [ Time Frame: Within one month of patients initial consultation with the Radiation Oncologist ]
  

Intervention Details:

Other: Multi-language Online Patient Education Module in addition to standard Patient Teaching
Patients are usually be given a 5-10 minute "new patient teaching" before their radiation therapy simulation and planning appointment and before their first radiation therapy treatment appointment. Patients will be asked to view an online patient education module before their radiation therapy simulation and planning appointment or before their first radiation therapy treatment appointment. Then patients will be asked to participate in an interview session and fill out a survey (attached). They will still receive "new patient teaching" from the therapists before their radiation therapy simulation and planning or radiation therapy treatment appointment.

Research shows that treatment-related information is the most important informational need of cancer patients and online media sources are gaining popularity as a cancer communication method. It is important to know whether having multi-language online education modules are usable for and beneficial to the multicultural cancer patient population at Sunnybrook Hospital, given that recent research suggests that this cancer population in general faces many barriers to effective online cancer communication. Approximately 10 new patients from the radiation oncology clinic at Sunnybrook Hospital will be screened to participate in the study. Usability testing will involve a combination of interviewing, observation, think-aloud methodology and a short survey.Results will be analyzed by assessing the percentage of patients identifying with a certain level of the Likert scale on the survey as well as through content analysis of responses to the interview and open-ended survey questions.