Cancer patients in the final stage of life face difficult choices, including decisions about their medications. For patients on blood thinners, it can be hard to know if the benefits still outweigh the risks. In this project, we are researching and developing a decision aid to help doctors and patients make this choice together, tailored to the patient's situation and wishes.
User research
Design
Branding
Development
5 years
Medical research consortium
React
Decision aid
Cancer patients in the final stage of life
Although this is a sensitive and complex topic, most patients appreciated having this information, to feel more prepared for discussions with their doctor.
Feedback from both patients and doctors has helped us present risk information in a clear, understandable way.
The design and illustrations in the decision aid contribute to a calm atmosphere, something many patients highlighted.
We developed the decision aid following the IPDAS guidelines, which are specifically designed for patient-centered decision tools. These guidelines informed our design choices regarding language, content, and structure. For example, the decision aid does not give advice. Instead, it provides a neutral overview of the options, ensuring that the final decision is made together with the doctor.
Serenity was carried out by a large European consortium led by the Leiden University Medical Center. Partners from eight European countries are collaborating, with patients and doctors actively involved throughout the process.
The team from TodayTomorrow has been excellent to work with, we've built a shared understanding of all the work that needed to be done. They have managed their work professionally and have been very flexible with availability to meet, to progress the work and solve problems together. We've worked together to create content for a shared decision support tool. They have the expertise to pull it all together and produce something that looks good and is fit for purpose. It feels like a partnership between our teams. We have remained in sync with each other from the start of the project.
Dr. Michelle Edwards
Qualitative health researcher, Cardiff University
