The healthcare challenge

Improving survivorship services for gynaecological cancer patients in Ireland.

The ask

Our client was working in collaboration with the Irish Cancer Society, multiple hospitals, and clinical fellows to develop a Life After Cancer Clinic (LACC). The LACC was being designed to address the unmet holistic needs of female cancer survivors in Ireland. The service needed to be as patient-centric as possible and designed in collaboration with patients and other clinical, technological, and patient advocacy stakeholders and interest groups.

The solution

medDigital facilitated a digital patient panel using medCrowd, the instant messenger for health and care. In collaboration with clinical fellows, we recruited 16 gynaecological cancer patients, survivors, and advocates to the panel for 5 rounds of questions over the course of a month. We concluded the process by presenting our patient insights report back to the patients, demonstrating to them that their voices had been heard and allowing them to have final say on the output of the process.

1	pharmaceutical company
1	patient organisation
3	hospitals
16	patients

The benefit

Using medCrowd, allowed busy patients to attend and share their experiences and insights in a manner compatible with their schedules, personal situations, and health statuses. The patient panel provided valuable, rich insights into the unmet needs and potential solutions for cancer treatment and survivorship services in Ireland. The process boosted the development of the life after cancer clinic by putting the patient voice at the centre.