Understanding patient preferences for supplemental methods of communication of new drug approvals in breast cancer survivors.

Abstract

e13551 Background: The landscape of cancer care is evolving rapidly. In 2023, there were 83 new FDA oncology approvals, and 145 interventional treatment (tx) studies opened across Mayo Clinic. We are exploring novel precision outreach approaches utilizing an LLM-integrated chatbot application to “ping” patients (pts) with specific clinical or genomic characteristics about newly available drugs or clinical trials. As novel outreach methods are considered, we surveyed a patient (pt) support group to understand communication preferences and awareness of adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibitors in tx of breast cancer (BC). Methods: On October 7, 2024, we administered a cross-sectional survey to 41 members of the Breast Cancer Support Network (BCSN) in Rochester, MN as a part of an IRB exempt quality improvement project. Leaders of the BCSN shared information to all participants, noting that the survey’s intent was to represent the pt voice and participation was voluntary. Anonymous survey data were collected with descriptive results reported. Results: 34/41 participants in the BCSN shared demographic information. The majority (83%) were > 50 years of age. 47% reported stage I BC, 12% stage II, 6% stage III, and 35% were unsure of their stage. Most participants (26/34, 76%) reported that their BC was hormone receptor positive (HR+), 2 HER-2 positive, and 6 unsure of their BC receptor status. 24/26 (92%) of pts with HR+ BC were taking or planning to start adjuvant endocrine therapy. 10/34 (29%) were aware that adjuvant CDK 4/6 inhibitors were approved. Of these 10 participants, 2 learned of it from online health resources, 6 from their clinician, 1 from social media, and 1 from a support group. The majority (66%) were unsure if they qualified for these drugs. Regarding receipt of information on new drug approvals/tx options, the highest ranked communication preference was to receive this information in person at an upcoming visit (ranked 1st by 50% of participants), followed by EHR-based message (28%), email (10%), phone call (6%), letter (4%), or an interactive chatbot (0%). Most respondents noted that communication from their healthcare provider was very important (30/37, 81%), with others stating that this was somewhat important (5/37, 14%) or neutral (2/37, 5%). Most noted that receiving information about tx options via video or visual aid before a visit would be very helpful (33/41, 80%). When asked about follow up after learning of a new drug approval, 17/32 (53%) of pts preferred an appointment, 9/32 (28%) a phone call, 3/32 (9%) a decision aid tool, and 3/32 (9%) a questionnaire to assess their understanding. Conclusions: Providing personalized, timely communication about new FDA approved tx options is important for BC survivors and critical for improving care delivery. While technological solutions could broaden awareness, this requires balancing pt preferences for direct communication with clinicians.