Using a Patient-Centered Approach to Develop a Fertility Preservation Brochure for Pediatric Oncology Patients: A Pilot Study

Study ObjectivesMost pediatric education materials are designed for a parent audience. Social marketing techniques rely on the principles called the “4 P’s”: product, price, place, and promotion. The objective of this study was to test the design, readability, likelihood to read, and overall opinion of a pediatric fertility preservation brochure with patients, parents, and providers.DesignQualitative face-to-face interviews.SettingThe Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL.ParticipantsMale and female cancer patients and survivors aged 12-21 (N = 7), their parents (N = 11), and healthcare providers (N = 6).InterventionsPatients, survivors, parents, and healthcare providers were given two versions of gender concordant brochures on fertility preservation designed for both pediatric oncology patients and their parents.Outcome MeasuresDesign, readability, likelihood to read, and overall opinion from interviews in order to identify facilitators of involving patients in fertility preservation discussions.ResultsParents and teens differed on the design, readability, and likelihood to read, the highest discord being preferences for medical terminology used in the brochures. While parents remarked that much of the language was ‘too advanced,’ the majority of teens explained that they understood the terminology and preferred it remained on the brochure. Overall feedback from all three groups was utilized to revise the brochures into final versions to increase the likelihood of reading.ConclusionInformation about the development of the 4 P’s of social marketing highlights needs from the intended audience. Barriers to patient education in pediatrics can be ameliorated when using the social marketing approach.