An innovative electronic tool to help deliver more personalised care to people with cancer has been developed by the Macmillan Cancer Support, one of the largest charities in the UK.

The electronic Holistic Needs Assessment (eHNA) provides patients with detailed needs assessments through a touchscreen tablet. The information is then sent to the clinician through a secure website, and provides the framework for setting up a personalised care plan.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the eHNA by Ipsos Mori found that more than half (54 per cent) of the patients that used it said it helped them to discuss concerns with their healthcare team. More than one in three (36 per cent) felt more confident to talk about personal sensitive issues.

An analysis which took data from almost 4,000 care plans based on eHNAs gave an insight into the main concerns of people with cancer after diagnosis.

It highlighted that a quarter (25 per cent) struggle to manage the emotional impact of the disease, with many facing sleep problems, nightmares, fear and anxiety.

Juliet Bouverie, the charity’s director of services and influencing, said: “What we can see from the eHNA results is that having structured quality conversations with clinicians, framed by a needs assessment, is beneficial for people with cancer.

“In addition, giving healthcare professionals a picture of what matters most to their patients can help inform the planning and provision of their care. Today’s evaluation of the eHNA provides more evidence that people with cancer have very complex needs and are far more than just a set of symptoms to be treated.”

The top 10 issues that people with cancer are concerned about are:

1. Worry, fear or anxiety;
2. Tiredness / exhaustion or fatigue;
3. Sleep problems / nightmares;
4. Pain;
5. Eating or appetite;
6. Anger or frustration;
7. Getting around (walking);
8. Memory or concentration;
9. Hot flushes / sweating;
10. Sore or dry mouth