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Doris Howell co-leads project with Cancer Care Ontario to improve patient self-management

30 April 2014

Research shows that cancer treatment negatively impacts patients’ physical and psychosocial well-being. These impacts are under-reported by physicians and patients alike, which can lead to higher costs for the healthcare system as patients attempt to address poorly-controlled symptoms. Associate Professor Doris Howell is a co-lead on the Improving Patient Experience and Health Outcomes Collaborative (iPEHOC), along with Dr. Madeline Li and Dr. Zeev Rosberger. The mandate of this three-year project is to develop and implement a standardized patient-experience and patient-reported outcomes measurement system. This will screen for emotional distress and the symptom levels of those diagnosed and undergoing cancer treatments.  The goal is to develop a common and sustainable patient experience measurement system that could be used across Canada.

This project is one of three delivered in conjunction with Cancer Care Ontario, funded by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC).Cancer Care Ontario has partnered with the Rossy Cancer Network (RCN) in Montreal which includes McGill University Health Centre, Jewish General Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital and their respective Aboriginal Cancer Control Units.  This includes the First Nations, Inuit and Métis (FNIM) communities in Quebec and the Aboriginal Cancer Control Unit in Ontario. Ultimately the research conducted will improve symptom management and self-management of patients throughout their cancer treatment.