Social Networking in Cancer Care

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer care is a complex and complicated process involving diverse practitioners, multiple specialists, and a range of inpatient, outpatient, and home care services with numerous transitions for the patients. In order to achieve the triple aims of cost, quality, and access for patients with complex health conditions such as cancer, new models of care delivery must improve coordination as well as enable patients, their families, and caregivers to be equal partners in the care process. A handful of studies of home telehealth and care coordination in chronic disease have shown promise in improving quality and costs. However, almost none have tackled the challenges in cancer. The interdisciplinary Collaborative Care Coordination Research Group (3CRG) at UC Davis is addressing this national need by working with commercial partners to develop solutions and evaluate efficacy and effectiveness in clinical, community, and home settings. This talk will report on the Personal Health Network (PHN) project that applies a social networking platform to coordinate care with patients initiating chemotherapy.

Speaker: Katherine Kim, UC Davis