GLOBAL RESOURCE FOR ADVANCING CANCER EDUCATION

GRACE is a nonprofit organization that was developed as a means of improving the overall medical care for cancer patients by democratizing cutting edge information on optimal cancer management and providing it directly to patients. We recognized that while there is an overwhelming amount of new information available to physicians, actually more than they could integrate, patients and their families often have a deep interest in their own care and often have the time and motivation to ensure that they are receiving the best treatment possible.

There are already many websites and other resources that provide some information for patients from health care professionals, but we find that they often provide very bland, nonspecific information that says little beyond extreme generalities. And while there are often discussions of specific treatments on patient and caregiver-moderated websites and other resources, the quality of the information is variable: sometimes great, and sometimes suspect. The potential for misinformation to be perpetuated by people not qualified to discuss medical details is a significant problem.

GRACE provides a broader range of cancer topics while also providing a greater depth of formats for providing educational materials to members. In addition to blog-format interactive software for online information and discussion, GRACE is introducing audio interviews, web-based lecture materials, and potentially live programs in the future.