Project Description

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Improving patient experiences through targeted, personalized engagement

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey is New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is a part of Rutgers Health, the most comprehensive academic healthcare provider organization in New Jersey. CINJ targets cancer with precision medicine, immunotherapy, and clinical trials to provide advanced and comprehensive cancer care to adults and children.  

In order to provide a more personalized patient experience and better comply with various requirements, GoMo Health and CINJ created the Concierge program for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

CLIENT OVERVIEW
Website cinj.org
GoMo Health Solutions Personal Concierge
Care Messages
Care Companion
Cognitive Techniques BehavioralRx®

Goals:

Reduce

  • Cost of care

  • Call center volume

  • ED visits and readmissions

Increase

  • Clinical Joy in Practice

  • Evidence-based data collection

  • Number of patients managed

  • Overall improvement in patient care

  • Patient adherence to oral oncolytics

Personalized Care with the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Concierge Program

By automatically enrolling CINJ patients and caregivers at the start of the treatment journey, the Concierge program provides immediate personalized guidance and resources throughout the course of care.

Oncology Care Message™ Mockup on Mobile Device

Care Messages™

The program features Care Messages, which are sent directly to the patients’ mobile device. There are two primary Care Message tracks:  

General Oncology
Patients receive two messages per week containing lifestyle tips, insights, and supportive information about living with cancer and going through treatment. Periodically, patients are prompted to access additional information within
the Care Companion

How Are You Doing?
One day after beginning treatment, patients receive a Care Message, prompting them to take the How Are You Doing? survey, allowing patients to report on the personal, physical and emotional challenges they are experiencing. Subsequently, the patients will receive a weekly one-question Care Message asking how they are doing on a scale of 1-10. If their response is a 4 or higher, indicating distress, they are prompted to take the How Are You Doing? survey again.

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Distress Screening Surveys

The How Are You Doing? survey, an NCCN distress screening tool utilized by CINJ, is sent to each patient one day after their treatment begins and is also periodically resent to patients. Based on the patient’s responses to the survey, an escalation process may be executed. Escalations may notify CINJ nurse triage and social workers, prompt the patient to call CINJ, 911, or follow up with the patient the next day with an action message. 

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Oral Oncolytic Management

The Concierge program also provides Oral Care Management messaging to patients who are experiencing challenging oral side effects to their treatment. Patients are automatically enrolled in this track when they indicate oral challenges on the How Are You Doing survey, which triggers additional Care Message support with tips to relieve discomfort from symptoms like dry mouth and trismus.

To support patients who are being treated with oral oncolytics, the Concierge program also features messaging for breast cancer patients taking IBRANCE (palbociclib). Content is delivered through two Care Message tracks:

  • IBRANCE Track: Patients receive messaging every three to four days offering directions, important information, emotional support, and tips related to treatment with IBRANCE.
  • IBRANCE Reminders Track: Personalized to align with each patient’s exact IBRANCE schedule, the Concierge program sends reminder messages each week to keep patients on track and adherent to their treatment regimen
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Patient Personal Page (Care Companion™)

Every time the patients complete the survey throughout their treatment process, they are directed to access their Personal Page, a library of content that is generated based on their responses, symptoms, and challenges indicated. Patients may access their page at any time. 

Marketing and Promotion

Promotional material was generated and placed throughout Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey to encourage enrollment and remind patients that care is just one text message away.

Materials created included:

  • Posters for patient rooms
  • Luggage tags which hang from IV poles
  • Bi-fold brochure
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
BehavioralRx® Logo

GoMo Health leveraged its proprietary science, BehavioralRx, to build the program and determine the engagement strategy, approach, and content delivered.

The following behavioral and cognitive techniques were applied:

  • Reduction Technology / Persuading through simplifying.

  • Tailoring Technology / Persuasion through customization. 

  • Nurturing Technology / Guided persuasion. 

  • Suggestion Technology / Intervening at the right time.

  • Conditioning Technology / Reinforcing target behavior. 

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