Interactive Health Communication Project

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In Easing Cancer Pain patients navigate a retreat grounds to learn about pain assessment, barriers to recovery and treatment options, as well as hear personal stories of others dealing with cancer pain.

Easing Cancer Pain

OVERVIEW

Easing Cancer Pain Fireside Retreat empowers people with cancer who suffer from pain by providing them with a variety of resources to help them understand their pain and seek effective treatment. The software highlights the personal stories of people who are being treated for cancer pain, barriers to pain treatment, and various causes of cancer pain, as well as providing detailed information on approaches to pain relief.

CREATIVE MERIT

Awards

  • Given a Three-star excellence rating by Growth House, Inc., an organization working with terminal illness issues. June 4, 1999.

Audience Reach:

  • The State of Michigan bought 12,000 copies for placement in all public libraries, nursing homes, hospitals, doctor's offices, and medical centers.
  • The American Cancer Society and various national Hospice organizations provide access and distribute the CD-ROM.
  • The CD-ROM is included in the Cochrane database of medical resources.
  • This project was the subject of a Heuristic Evaluation by The Center for Applied Medical Informatics, MSU/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies. March 1999.
  • This project was the subject of a User Study at MSU by Karen Ogle. 1999.

SCHOLARLY MERIT

Academic Publications Related to Project

  • Greene, D., Heeter, C. Personal Stories within Virtual Environments: A Cancer Patient Information Software Case Study, CyberPsychology and Behavior, Vol. 1, No. 3, Fall 1998. Lead article, pages 201-212.
  • Greene, D. Personal Stories within Virtual Environments: Creating Three Experiences in Cancer Information Software. In G. Riva, B.K. Widerhold, E. Molinari (Eds.), Virtual Environments in Clinical Psychology and Neuroscience: Methods and Techniques in Advanced Patient-Therapist Interaction (pp.151-160). Amsterdam, The Netherland: IOS Press. 1998.
  • Greene, D. Personal Stories Within Virtual Environments: Embodiment of a model for cancer patient information software. In J. Westwood, H. Hoffman, D. Stredney and S. Weghorst (Eds.), Medicine Meets Virtual Reality-Art, Science, Technology: Healthcare Evolution" (pp. 193 - 195). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: ISO Press. 1998. Proceedings of Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 6, San Diego, California, January 28 - 31, 1998.

Presentations Related to Project

  • The project was presented by Darcy Greene at the Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conferences 1998.

FUNDING

  • MSU Cancer Center, MSU Libraries, Computing and Technology. Karen Ogle (Co-PI), Darcy Greene (Co-PI). $100,000. Funded 1997 – 1998.

ROLE

I served as Lead Programmer on the CD-ROM project, initially working with Jeff DeVries, a graduate student in the Comm Tech Lab, to design and create a prototype version of the software. After which, I rewrote and enhanced the software to bring it to its final commercial form. I also worked with Darcy Greene, the project manager, and various other members of the Comm Tech Lab. The content was created primarily by Karen Ogle, M.D., Professor of Family Practice in the College of Human Medicine, and Director of the Program in Palliative Care Education and Research at the MSU Cancer Center.

I was not involved with the creation of the initial web site. However, I was involved with a major revision to the web site in 1998. I collaborated with Darcy Greene on the look-and-feel of the revised site and then managed an intern on the revision of the site. I also processed, prepared, and integrated the audio and video elements into the site.

VIEW THE WORK

The Easing Cancer Pain CD-ROM is available for commercial sale and the Web site is available on the Internet.