Innovation in Cancer Support: Fighting Cancer Network's Journey with ConcertIDC

The Challenge

A cancer diagnosis is a life-altering event. It brings anxiety and uncertainty, and no matter how good the bedside manner of your doctor or nurses is, you always have more questions. Fighting Cancer Network co-founders Matt Scalici and Mike Ousley recognized that cancer patients and their caregivers needed a better source of information to go to when they get their diagnosis.  

Scalici and Ousley know that physicians are pressed for time and do their best to give you the information you need. Still, comprehending all that information and bringing what you have learned home to inform your family and friends is challenging. So, many people turn to the internet, and while there is a wealth of valuable information there, it can take a lot of work to filter through the bad to get to the good. Once you have found good information, it is also an issue of comprehension. The excellent information includes medical terminology, statistics from clinical trials, and interactions between medication and treatment options. All that data can be confusing.  

In 2019, Ousley came to Scalici to create easily understandable comprehensive content for cancer patients in the form of high-quality videos. These videos aim to tap into the information cancer patients need. Rather than simply having a doctor talk to a camera about a specific cancer diagnosis, FCN aimed to create content that helps cancer patients be informed in all areas of their diagnosis. Answering questions like, "What is it like to get a CT scan?" or "How is this cancer impacting my body?" allows FCN to empower cancer patients with knowledge that is otherwise hard to find and often convoluted. Perhaps most importantly, “What are the globally accepted recommended treatments available for my specific tumor?” 

With their mission in mind, Scalici undertook the project of developing an app to house all their content. They wanted a ubiquitous platform; most people have a phone or tablet, and most people carry those with them everywhere. With an app, they knew they could reach more people in an accessible and manageable format.  

After putting together the team to produce the video content, Scalici started seeking a partner to develop their app. They wanted a nearby partner, and after seeking recommendations from other companies that had employed app developers, they landed on IDC. Shortly after partnering with IDC, Concert Care and IDC merged, meaning FCN would work with a local firm as initially intended. 

The Solution

Product Description

While the app's main feature is the comprehensive video content, much work went into creating a platform to help cancer patients manage their knowledge and care effectively. The video content currently available on the app is about breast and prostate cancer, which are the two most prevalent cancer diagnoses, according to the National Cancer Institute.  

FCN also features ancillary content, providing information on nutrition, mental health, fitness, legal advice, etc. All the video content created by the FCN team attempts to help cancer patients and their loved ones get acquainted with all the factors that become a part of your life when you receive your diagnosis.   

All the content featured on FCN is aligned with the recommendations of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.  

The FCN platform also has a recommendation engine to ensure each user sees the most relevant content. This tool was incorporated as part of the onboarding process, and as users answer questions, content is recommended accordingly. This feature is controlled in the administrative portal by the FCN team, who can input the questions and information they deem appropriate to ensure content is recommended well.  

Beyond the recommendation engine, the administrative portal also enables the FCN team to gather analytics on who's using the app, how they use it, and how much they use it. This data enables the FCN team to build out content their users want and need and focus on updating or adjusting as it makes sense for their user base.  

Fighting Cancer Network also incorporates other features like:  

• Medication Reminders: Through the app, users can track their treatment regimen. Personalized reminders help users manage what can be a complex and varying routine.  
• Notes: The app allows users a place to take notes while watching videos, while at the doctor's, or even just as questions come up. Users can create multiple notes, all stored within a section of the app dedicated to them. It eliminates the stress of keeping up with various notebooks or random thoughts because it is all housed in one place.  
• "My Story" Personal Journal: This journal is a private social network inside the app, so cancer patients and caregivers can invite their families and friends to link up with them. It provides a private way to stay in touch with their family and friends without texting, calling, or emailing them all. Users can share their journey, relevant medical information, and any featured video content here.  
• Glossary: This glossary of medical terms is an essential tool for users to efficiently manage the complex definitions often thrown at them. Rather than taking to the internet, users can check the medical glossary and learn accurate information fast.  

In the future app iteration, Scalici hopes to see a voice recorder built into the notes feature. This would enable users to record conversations with their doctor or other relevant persons and return to those recordings to remind themselves or loved ones about what was said.  

FCN is an ad-based model, so the app also features ad integrations for partners and products users may need during their cancer journey.