Supportive Care in Radiotherapy Based on a Mobile App: Prospective Multicenter Survey

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Patient Support

Background:

• Consumer electronics and mobile devices are increasingly integrated into patient care.
• Mobile applications present significant potential for supportive cancer care and systematic patient follow-up.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the acceptance and potential benefits of a mobile app for supportive care in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted with 200 cancer patients (breast or prostate) undergoing radiotherapy who owned smartphones.
• Patients completed questionnaires at two time points (pre- and post-radiotherapy) assessing smartphone usage, technical skills, app acceptance, and desired features.
• Quantitative analysis correlated results with patient characteristics and compared responses between the two time points.

Main Results:

• A high interest was shown in using mobile apps for supportive care (73.3%) and clinical follow-up (83.4%).
• Key requested features included appointment scheduling and collection of patient-reported outcomes.
• Younger patients (<55 years) and those with a Karnofsky performance index <80% demonstrated higher acceptance and interest in specific app functionalities.

Conclusions:

• Mobile apps are highly accepted for surveillance and follow-up of cancer patients during radiotherapy.
• This acceptance provides a foundation for clinical trials to investigate the benefits of app-based treatment support.
• Integrating mobile apps into clinical routines can improve and intensify supportive care for cancer patients.