Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChoiceApp?

  • ChoiceApp is an online app that provides a personalised, easily accessible platform for shared decision-making between patients and their healthcare team throughout their treatment pathway.

    It is designed to encourage discussions about treatment preferences between patients and their healthcare team so that, together, they can identify a treatment pathway that aligns with individual values and preferences.

  • Recently, ChoiceApp was successfully piloted by healthcare professionals and patients diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (MM), a form of bone marrow cancer, with the support from Myeloma Australia.

    The pilot demonstrated that ChoiceApp provides a platform for patients to feel confident and in control of their discussions with their treating healthcare team, by centralising their questions, allowing them to prepare in advance of their appointments and document their experiences, preferences, and questions pre- and post-appointments.

    For participating clinicians, the pilot provided greater visibility of the preferences, concerns and questions of patients. It helped provide a clear direction for discussion during consultations and helped them to reach alignment with patients about their preferred course of treatment.

  • ChoiceApp can provide real-time patient feedback directly to a patient’s treating healthcare professional throughout their entire treatment experience.

    It allows for input at diagnosis, when deciding what factors are most important to a patient in selecting the best treatment option; and changing treatment options including when new options become available.

    ChoiceApp is available via a mobile phone app and is available on both iPhone and Android devices.

  • You can talk to your healthcare professional about your results at any time, but they might be most useful during a consultation where you are discussing starting a new treatment or changing treatments. If you do the Treatment Preferences Survey ahead of the consultation, then your results can help you prepare for the appointment and guide the discussion.

    If you are not sure where to start, consider telling your healthcare professional about what your preferences are and ask them about how these preferences can be incorporated into treatment decisions.

    Your results might also bring up new questions that you want to ask, such as questions about your disease area or treatment options available to you.

    If your healthcare team is interested in learning more about ChoiceApp, you may wish to direct them to the Information for Healthcare Professionals webpage.

  • ChoiceApp is available for free via the Apple Store and Google Play Store for both iPhone and Android devices. Click on Get Started for further information.

    The Shared Decision-Making Program on ChoiceApp is currently available to people living with multiple myeloma. When setting up a profile on ChoiceApp, select “MMSDM” as your codeword to be taken to the myeloma-specific surveys.

  • For step-by-step instructions on how to use ChoiceApp, please visit the Features page of the website. For a more detailed video walk-through of how to complete the Treatment Preferences Survey, please visit CaPPRe’s YouTube channel

  • ChoiceApp is managed by Community and Patient Preference Research (CaPPRe).

    CaPPRe is an independent group committed to meaningful and high-quality research and consulting, leading to better engagement and understanding of community and health consumer needs.

  • When you complete the Treatment Preferences Survey or the Quality of Life Survey on ChoiceApp, your answers will be automatically analysed and presented back to you in the form of a summary report. You are free to use the information displayed in this report however you would like.

    Results will also be analysed by CaPPRe in a combined form such that no individual person can be identified. The supporting organisations - Myeloma Australia, Janssen and Takeda - will be provided with a report of the findings containing only combined de-identified data. Results may also be published and/or presented in a variety of forums, and may be used for commercial purposes. The survey data will be kept securely for a period of 5 years.

    CaPPRe respects and understands your privacy is very important. Any information collected that can identify you will remain confidential. Your personal details will not be forwarded to any other parties. Your data will be stored in a secure encrypted (protected) environment in Australia and only CaPPRe will have access to the data. Your information will only be used for the purpose of this program, and it will only be disclosed with your permission, except as required by law.

    To read the full Participant Information and Consent Form, please click here.

  • If you require any support using ChoiceApp, please do not hesitate to contact the project manager maya.joshi@cappre.com.au or call 02 8313 7118

What are the benefits of ChoiceApp?

  • ChoiceApp allows patients and their healthcare team to work together to identify a treatment management pathway that aligns with individual values and preferences.

    The Treatment Preferences Survey on ChoiceApp can support patients in determining what treatment features are most important to them and what questions they may want to ask during their next consultation so that they can better understand their condition, available treatment options, and why a treatment was selected for them. The Treatment Preferences Survey can be completed at any time, however the information it provides may be most valuable to those who are newly diagnosed or those considering a change in treatment.

    It is important to note that the treatment features included in the survey are hypothetical and ChoiceApp is not designed to select a specific treatment for patients. Rather, the app is designed to guide a shared conversation about treatment goals. ChoiceApp also enables patients to track their quality of life and identify areas where they may need extra support through the Quality of Life Survey.

  • ChoiceApp allows patients and their healthcare professionals to work together to identify a treatment management pathway that aligns with individual values and preferences.

    For healthcare professionals specifically, ChoiceApp provides visibility and greater insight into patients’ values and preferences. The Quality of Life survey in ChoiceApp can also help healthcare professionals identify areas of supportive care that should be focused on in order to improve patients’ quality of life. This information can then help guide discussions with patients during consultations. Click here for more healthcare provider information.

  • For the academic community specifically, ChoiceApp can provide important real-world evidence on clinical interventions and their delivery, providing greater visibility into treatment experiences and patient outcomes. This enables academics to develop a deeper understanding of current interventions and how they can be enhanced to deliver better outcomes for patients.

What is shared decision-making?

  • Successful shared decision-making considers the values, preferences and circumstances of each individual patient throughout their treatment experience in consultation with, and guidance from their healthcare professional.

    Research shows that shared decision-making improves patient knowledge and helps set realistic expectations when it comes to their care and treatment. Shared decision-making can also lead to greater trust between a patient and their healthcare professional.

  • Research has shown that there are numerous benefits to shared decision-making. For example, the process improves patient knowledge by approximately 14% and improves realistic expectations for patients by nearly 75%. It leads to a 5% reduction in overall medical costs as well as 12.5 % fewer hospital admissions.

    Furthermore, shared decision-making can lead to greater trust between a patient and their healthcare professional. It helps reduce conflict and indecision when it comes to treatment decision making, while increasing patient involvement and confidence. Shared decision-making can help patients feel more in control of their treatment pathway, as equal partners in their own care.

  • Australia is moving towards a more patient-centred model of healthcare, which involves the implementation of shared decision-making. Essentially, this means patients and their treatment teams work together to make treatment decisions.

    Over the past four years, Australian healthcare quality policies have updated accreditation standards to shift towards patients being more actively involved in their care and treatment. Shared decision-making has been identified by state-based healthcare quality regulator, Agency for Clinical Innovation, as an important strategy to help promote patient-centred care and reduce unwanted variation.

  • In practice, shared decision-making is where patients and their treatment teams work together to make treatment decisions.

    Compared to countries like Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, Australia has been relatively slow to adopt shared decision-making despite the emerging evidence of its benefits.

    ChoiceApp has been designed to provide a personalised, easily accessible platform facilitating shared decision-making between patients and their healthcare professionals throughout their treatment pathway. It can provide real-time patient feedback directly to a patient’s treating healthcare team allowing for input at diagnosis, when deciding what factors are most important in selecting the best treatment option, and changing treatments including when new options become available.