core

Overview

Tumor boards are the central point where interdisciplinary expertise shapes individualized cancer care. Research, interviews and shadowing showed the same systemic issues across hospitals: scattered information, email-based coordination, missing imaging, limited preparation time and no unified digital tool to support the process. Cases are often presented under heavy time pressure, and discussions are rarely documented beyond the final recommendation.

Core addresses these gaps without altering the familiar clinical workflow. Case data is pulled automatically from existing systems, organizers see completeness at a glance and scheduling is simplified. During the board, Core provides a structured interface combining clinical data, imaging and relevant notes into a single, navigable view. Optional AI suggestions highlight guidelines, comparable cases and relevant mutations. After the session, Core generates structured summaries that physicians can validate and use in patient conversations.

The result is reduced administrative burden, more consistent decision-making and a growing foundation of standardized oncology data that benefits future personalized treatments.

How we worked

Using the Double-Diamond approach, the team combined literature review, process analysis, expert interviews, shadowing and hypothesis testing. Interviews with specialists from Vienna, Ulm, Heidelberg and Winnenden highlighted shared issues: manual data collection, heterogeneous IT systems, inconsistent preparation and limited discussion time. Shadowing confirmed the heavy reliance on parallel tools, short case times and missing documentation of the reasoning behind decisions.

These insights led to Core: a platform that structures preparation, supports the interdisciplinary exchange during the meeting and ensures transparent, standardized documentation. It improves daily clinical work while enabling long-term learning across institutions.