PRIMR: Simple Cancer Explanations

David is a radiation oncologist at St. Francis Hospital, a Yale-affiliated cancer center in Hartford, Connecticut. Five years into his practice, he noticed that due to the COVID pandemic, patients were attending their initial consultations alone. To enhance patient understanding, he started drawing illustrations to simplify complex cases. Patients appreciated these drawings and wanted to share them with their families. David seized this opportunity to create a library of narrated whiteboard videos, which he shared with patients to facilitate communication with their loved ones.

David initially shared this platform with fellow clinicians, but they struggled to find the time to create content or share links with their patients, leading to underutilization. However, during a conversation with a researcher friend, he recognized the platform's potential to convert a lengthy 40-page informed consent form into a concise two-minute video for patients participating in clinical trials. As he leveraged this model, his business grew significantly and expanded to become a multidisciplinary international team. With his team, he curated a platform aimed at helping interested patients to learn more about treatment options through a library of IRB-approved content for clinical trials.

Towards the end of their discussion, the hosts delve into the advantages and drawbacks of being a clinician-entrepreneur. They explore topics such as facing the fear of failure, enjoying a creative outlet, achieving a better work-life balance, and fostering a stronger connection with their medical specialty.