OBJECTIVES: Patients with barriers such as normal anxiety around illness, low assertiveness, or cognitive issues may have trouble communicating with their healthcare providers (HCP). HCPs are under increasing pressure to see more patients daily. Can a web-based training and worksheet help patients have improved outcomes, even in the face of these challenges? METHODS: US and European patients were trained to produce an electronic, printable worksheet that contained the following: a detailed description of their primary complaint, including location, duration, and intensity according to Likert scale, correlation to activity, quality, and history. The worksheet also included a functional impact statement around daily activities of living and social activities, a therapy preferences statements and a statement of symptom management goals. RESULTS: Of 25 patients, 14 responded to an outcomes survey:

• A majority of patients had received costly blood tests (81.8%), X-rays (72.7%), and MRI/CATS scans (63.6%) for their healthcare issue

Most patients (78.6%) used the worksheet to have a discussion around a new treatment option they hadn’t previously discussed, and almost half 6/14 (42.9%) were able to get a diagnosis for a healthcare issue not previously diagnosed using the worksheet; Many [9/14 (64.3%)] said the worksheet helped reduce office-visit related anxiety and helped them discuss symptom management [8/14 (57.2%)].  CONCLUSIONS: This simple web-based tool was useful in facilitating communication between patients and their HCPs, which led to diagnosis, receiving new treatments, and better symptom management, even in patients with long-standing healthcare issues, multiple visits, extensive testing, and multiple healthcare providers.