BREAST cancer patients are to be given hand held computers in a pilot scheme to educate them about the disease.
The devices will be given out to women being treated at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and will contain information specially tailored to the individual.
As well as details of their personal treatment, they will also have a built-in calendar to log appointment times.
Jane Wood, project co-ordinator of Liverpool's International Centre for Digital Content, developed the programme after being treated for breast cancer three years ago.
She said the scheme would prevent women from becoming unnecessarily frightened about dying of the disease.
She said: "I was devastated when I was diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age and there was a lot for my family and I to take in and try to understand.
"Away from the hospital we looked to many sources to answer our questions, the results were overwhelming and quite frightening.
"Patients often bombard themselves with information about cancer when it doesn't necessarily apply to them.
"The hand held computer tells them what they need to know about their treatment."
Women can also log their experience of the treatment, such as their mood states and any physical pain, to help the National Health Service improve its services.
Data stored on the computer will include former patient's memories of having the disease as well as information compiled by the NHS.
Patients will also be able to record their consultations so they can listen to them more than once.
Ms Wood added: "When you are diagnosed with the disease you are not in the right frame of mind to remember everything the consultant has told you.
"By recording the consultation you can play it back to a member of your family or listen to it again yourself."
In the #98,000 pilot scheme, 10 patients at the Linda McCartney Centre's rapid diagnostic clinic will receive a hand held computer in the new year.
They will give feedback on how they value the devices over an eight-week period.
If it is successful, health chiefs are planning to roll it out to sufferers of other illnesses, such as other types of cancers or diabetes.
The technology could also be developed to allow mobile phones to access the information.
Funding for the project came from the Health Foundation.
ICDC is part of Liverpool John Moores University.