Using Patient Reported Outcomes to Promote Equitable Cancer Care in Nova Scotia

Cancer is the leading cause of mortality in Canada, and rates in Nova Scotia (NS) are among the nation's highest. Social factors contribute to cancer risk, negatively impact cancer outcomes, and create barriers to care that can be influenced by a lack of culturally appropriate practices and policies. Nova Scotia Health has recently launched the Oncology Transformation Project (OTP): a first-in-North America initiative that uses innovative technology in cancer care (CC) to integrate referral, triage, and treatment-resulting in fewer delays and more efficient care, thus enhancing outcomes for both patients and providers. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) have been shown to improve patient survivorship and overall quality of life and are an integral part of OTP. Electronic PRO have been successfully tested in CC using an application created for use on electronic devices, called noona®, which will be integrated into all areas of the NSH CC Program (NSH CCP). Cancer risk and regional diversity in NS present a unique opportunity to explore social factors impacting health outcomes in relation to key indicators for health equity (e.g., age, citizenship, disability, gender, race, sex, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status). Noona® can be programmed to collect data in a way that equitable health outcomes for cancer patients and survivors can be promoted. Our team has the necessary expertise to leverage noona's® implementation via the OTP and has met twice virtually. Now we wish to have a one-day face-to-face meeting to develop a plan for collecting and analyzing data on social factors impacting cancer outcomes so Noona®'s capabilities can be unlocked in ways that will promote the equitable realization of the OTP, delivery of NSH CCP services, and improve patient survivorship, cancer health equity, and overall quality of life. This work complements existing initiatives on developing international data collection standards that will revolutionize cancer care delivery.