Manta Cares Introduces “Decision Point Engagement” (DPE©) as a New Measure for Cancer Patient Engagement

Initial data found 70% of patients engaged at specific treatment decision points, with 78% preparing for healthcare visits through AI-guided conversations in the Manta Platform after hours

San Francisco - Jun 10, 2026

Manta Cares, an award-winning digital health company transforming the cancer experience, presents initial data introducing “Decision Point Engagement” (DPE©), a new framework for measuring whether patients are engaging with clinically relevant information at the specific moments when critical treatment decisions are being made.

The analysis, based on a cohort of 3,388 breast and lung cancer patients that joined the Manta Cares platform in the last 3 months, across all 50 states, found that 70% of these patients engaged at a specific critical decision point. The analysis examined how patients in the digital platform engaged across key moments in the cancer journey, including testing for biomarkers, recurrence risk, surgery decisions, planning for treatment and surgery, hormone therapy selection, and diagnostic questions.

DPE© measures whether a patient engaged with clinically relevant content, guidance, or decision-support tools within a defined window tied to a specific clinical milestone such as post-diagnosis, pre-surgical planning, or during treatment selection. Unlike aggregate engagement metrics, DPE© requires both timing and clinical context: a patient reading general health content generates no signal; a patient querying Manta Cares' HopeAI about biomarker results within weeks of a confirmed diagnosis does. All findings derive from aggregate, de-identified data.

Cancer care has a blind spot in how patient engagement has been measured. Biopharma and life sciences industries have two main approaches: metrics such as impressions, clicks, website traffic, and broad awareness campaigns; and data captured during the medical appointment. But neither of these offer visibility into when and how patients are asking relevant questions and interacting with educational resources while actively navigating treatment decisions. In reality, many of those moments happen outside the doctor’s office entirely, late at night, between appointments, while patients are trying to process diagnoses, evaluate treatment options, and prepare for conversations with their care teams. 

Traditional patient support programs have utilization rates below 3%, while many healthcare applications struggle to sustain meaningful engagement over time. DPE© is intended to measure something fundamentally different: whether patients are seeking out and engaging with clinically relevant information during the moments that may directly shape treatment conversations, testing decisions, and care planning.

"Until now, the health care system has had almost no visibility into how patients navigate treatment decisions between appointments, the moments when they're processing a diagnosis, trying to understand what a biomarker test means, or deciding how to talk to their oncologist about surgery," said Samira Daswani, founder and CEO of Manta Cares. "Decision Point Engagement is the first framework built to measure those moments directly. And the data show patients are not passive; they are actively seeking information and guidance at the exact moments that shape their care."

The company found the highest levels of engagement occurred around developing a treatment plan (43%), biomarkers and genetic testing (40%), metastatic treatment option (39%), pre- and post-surgery planning (38%), and understanding hormone therapy (33%), symptoms & side effect management (33%).

Manta Cares also found that many patients engaged with the platform immediately before oncology appointments, often seeking guidance around treatment tradeoffs, testing questions, side effects, and how to navigate discussions with their healthcare providers. According to the analysis, 21% of the patients asked HopeAI – the AI purpose-built partner within the Manta platform, for guidance to better prepare for their next medical appointment.

The findings reinforce how much of the cancer experience happens outside the clinical setting, 78% of interactions with the Manta platform happen outside of the 8am-6pm time frame. While oncology visits may last only minutes, patients often spend days or weeks researching diagnoses, weighing treatment options, managing anxiety, and preparing questions before critical decisions are made.

For life science companies and healthcare organizations, the findings have broader implications for how patient engagement programs are evaluated and where engagement investments are directed. Rather than measuring whether patients were simply reached with an ad, DPE© is proving to be a leading indicator for metrics that matter to healthcare, including: an effective way to ensure patients better understand and manage their treatment; an efficient approach to address quality of care gaps; and, guiding patients to receive the appropriate testing. These insights are derived from aggregate, de-identified data and are used to improve the design of patient support programs across the care continuum.

“For years, we have relied on chart review, retrospective studies and claims data to measure the quality and the kind of care we deliver. We measure what has happened.” said Dr. Douglas Blayney, former President of ASCO and the company's Chief Medical Officer. “Decision point engagement is a leading indicator. It can help us understand what patients and their doctors are considering as they make decisions during the course of their cancer experience. This creates a new level of visibility into how patients navigate treatment decisions in real-time, the questions they are asking, the information they are seeking and the moments where support matters most.”

The initial analysis represents the first application of the DPE© framework in a real-world cancer population, focused on breast and lung cancer patients navigating diagnosis, surgery preparation, treatment planning and hormone therapy decisions. Manta Cares is expanding the analysis across additional cancer types and patient populations.

About Manta Cares
Manta Cares is a patient-first digital health company redesigning the cancer experience. Founded by a cancer survivor, Manta helps patients and their care partners track symptoms, medications, appointments, and decisions—bringing clarity and structure to a deeply fragmented system. Designed in collaboration with more than 100 medical professionals and thousands of users, Manta is trusted by leading healthcare organizations and partners, including four of the top 15 pharmaceutical manufacturers. The content provided by Manta Cares Inc. including HopeAI, is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

The company is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by Pear VC, Sozo Ventures, 1843 Capital and strategic angels across oncology, health tech, and patient advocacy. Learn more at www.mantacares.com or go to the app store and download the Manta Cares app.