Community driven support platform BlueHQ: An innovative solution to address the needs of patients with colorectal cancer.

Abstract

330 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. In efforts to manage the disease, patients and caregivers turn to various tools and resources for financial assistance, information dissemination, emotional and peer support, and treatment planning, among other critical issues and needs they face. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance (the Alliance) created BlueHQ to provide patients and caregivers with a resource solution that encompasses all potential areas of need. Methods: A survey aimed at understanding needs, barriers, and quality improvement opportunities was disseminated via the Alliance's Blue Hope Nation community for two weeks and by email. One hundred sixty-seven colorectal cancer patients and forty caregivers of colorectal cancer patients completed the survey. Results: Patients and caregiver respondents report reliance on external tools and resources to manage disease and support information. Of the support methods, patient respondents reported using social media (46.11%); notebooks, journals, and planners (45.41%); online articles (44.91%); the Blue Hope Nation Facebook group (41.32%); cancer discussion boards (35.33%); and spiritual or religious advice (29.94%). To minimize diagnosis-related stressors, patients reported seeking financial assistance, local peer support and groups, and mental health help. To provide more efficient care and limit stress, the community suggested financial help, communication and support from other patients and caregivers, and informational resources. Conclusions: These survey results are consistent with other published learnings about patient and caregiver reliance on support tools and highlight the myriad resources that patients and caregivers currently use for managing CRC. BlueHQ is a support solution that provides patients and caregivers with access to information and resources tailored to users’ specified profiles, including molecular characteristics of the tumor. Users can also store documents and information from healthcare encounters, creating a longitudinal record and tracking disease progression. In the age of precision oncology, BlueHQ ensures patients and users are presented with personalized educational materials and multimedia resources to help manage their disease and bridge the gaps in patient support. BlueHQ was explicitly designed to connect the CRC community to the latest therapeutic and clinical research resources to improve outcomes and quality of life for all CRC patients.