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| The following article features coverage from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2019. Click here to read more of Oncology Nurse Advisor‘s conference coverage. |
Swedish researchers report developed an app called the Interaktor, an app developed by Swedish researchers, can help patients with cancer in a new way. The researchers reported at ESMO Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, that the Interaktor app is a user-friendly and convenient alternative for patient contact and involvement with the health care team. It can aid in symptom management, self-care, and further enhanced patient involvement.
The app enables regular symptom reporting and can also alert medical personnel of severe symptoms. In their investigation, the researchers examined usage and usability during cancer treatment. Patients from the intervention arms of two separate randomized controlled trials were enrolled to test the app. One trial included 74 women with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy; the second trial included 75 men with locally advanced prostate cancer undergoing radiotherapy.
Study results show that 80% of the participants completed daily reporting during treatment and most patients viewed the information pages with self-care advice numerous times. “The app was perceived user-friendly, facilitating interaction with health care professionals and supporting self-care,” noted the researchers. “Symptom reporting was a quick and comfortable way to access help.”
The participants reported that using the app generated feelings of being more closely monitored and cared for in a new way. Asked what motivated them to use the app, they reported vigor, comorbidity, and cognitive side effects from their treatments were motivational factors. The researchers report that part of the success with this app was that the information pages with self-care advice were considered useful, and the app gave the user an idea of what was to be expected during treatment.
Reference
Crafoord MT, Fjell M, Nilsson M, Nilsson M, Sundberg K, Languis-Eklöf. Patients’ usage and perception of an interactive app for symptom management and self-care during cancer treatment. Presented at: ESMO Congress 2019; September 27-October 1, 2019; Barcelona, Spain. Abstract CN1.
