Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre enjoys the specialized nature of the OIN:myCancerGuide

Another hospital is offering the Oncology Interactive Navigator (OIN) to its patients, with the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre launching a pilot of the thyroid website.

Already, its value has been noted. Helen Fong, Interdisciplinary Thyroid Oncology Project Coordinator at the QEII, points out that the customized website fills a void. "There are online resources available, but our patients can have difficulty finding information tailored to their needs, for their thyroid cancer care, in their city and province," she said.

The tool offers patients 24/7 access to reliable information about cancer – with specialized content on each subtype of thyroid cancer. The OIN also offers a customized search engine of dozens of local cancer resources, associated with the hospital or offered by the local community.

"It's really about self-empowering patients and their families,” explains Fong. “We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn as much as they can about their condition."

With a better understanding of their disease and a large database of local support resources at the tips of their fingers, patients and their families can become more involved with their own care and gain a better sense of control of their disease.

(Dec 2012)