Status and Recommendations of Technological and Data-Driven Innovations in Cancer Care: Focus Group Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Cancer care is increasingly leveraging data-driven management and technological innovations.
• Four European Union Horizon 2020 projects (BOUNCE, CATCH ITN, DESIREE, MyPal) organized international workshops to discuss this field.
• Key areas explored include patient engagement, decision support systems, personalized diagnosis, and interoperability of information and communication technology (ICT) platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the current state of technology and data-driven innovations in cancer care management.
• To identify challenges, opportunities, and provide recommendations for advancing data-driven cancer care.
• To synthesize insights from EU-funded projects on ICT in cancer management.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two international workshops in Spain (June 2019) and Greece (October 2019).
• Facilitated discussions on various aspects of data-driven cancer care, including patient journey and rehabilitation.
• Established a focus group post-workshop to analyze findings and formulate recommendations.

Main Results:

• Data-driven innovations offer significant potential for cancer care management.
• Key challenges identified include patient engagement, ICT interoperability, knowledge management, and establishing trust.
• These challenges also represent opportunities for further research and practical implementation.

Conclusions:

• Technology and data-driven innovations are integral to modern cancer care.
• Addressing challenges such as trust and stakeholder engagement is essential for maximizing the benefits of these innovations.
• Recommendations are provided to navigate the complex landscape of data-driven innovation in oncology.