Opioids and Cancer
Opioids and Cancer is a free educational platform for cancer patients, caregivers, and providers navigating pain management. 55% of cancer patients experience pain during treatment. 1 in 5 may be at risk for opioid use disorder. 39% experience pain after cancer. These are not abstract statistics, they are the lived reality of patients and families navigating one of the most complex intersections in modern medicine: where relief and risk co-exist.
Built in partnership with the palliative care team at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, this free educational project was developed alongside a community advisory board of current and former cancer patients, caregivers, and family members. Their lived experience shaped the entire project, ensuring the content serves the people it was created for.
The goal of this project is to help patients, caregivers, and providers understand the role opioids may have in their cancer journey and to help them make informed decisions about their cancer pain management.
Project Scope:
— Brand Direction + Visual Language
— Website Design + Build
— Content Strategy + Copywriting
— Patient Education Materials + Print Design
— Animation Production + Creative Direction
— Analytics + Monthly Grant Reporting
— Project Management + Vendor Oversight
— Community Advisory Board Consultation
The Team:
— Amy White Eyes Doermann: Creative Direction, Content Strategy, Communications Design, Web & Print Design, Project Management
— Teri Dulong-Rae, MSHA: Palliative Care Program Manager; Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care
— Susan Hong, MD, MPH RGC: Professor in Cancer Research; Director of Cancer Survivorship and Interim Section Chief of Palliative Medicine
— Night Swim: Initial Site Build
Work that reaches beyond the screen.
Alongside the digital platform, a suite of print materials were developed to meet patients where they are: in waiting rooms, doctor’s offices, clinics, and in the hands of caregivers. An extensive range of relevant topics were translated into one-page handouts for ease of distribution. A Pain Tracker booklet was designed to help patients log their pain experience for improve communication with providers.
Resources made to share.
Getting these materials into the community was as important as building the platform itself. A brand resource hub was created for clinical partners, with downloadable brand guidelines, logo files, poster assets, and patient handout cards for clinics and county-wide health settings across Virginia and beyond.
What’s next:
This contract has been renewed three times as the work grows with our community. The more trust is built, the more people want to contribute. When patients and caregivers see their input reflected in the final work, they come back with more needs and ideas. This momentum reflects something simple: people engage when the work is made for them, not just about them.
Currently in development:
— Spanish language translation of the full platform and materials
— ADA-compliant and accessibility-optimized PDF resources
— Video interviews with patients, doctors, and caregivers
— New caregiver resources and alternative medicine guides
— Patient Care Kits for clinical distribution