Perceptions of Endocrine Therapy in African-American Breast Cancer Survivors: Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Informatics
• Health Disparities

Background:

• African-American women face lower breast cancer survival rates compared to White women.
• Poor adherence to endocrine therapy contributes to increased breast cancer recurrence in this population.
• Culturally sensitive interventions are crucial to improve endocrine therapy adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather data for developing the STORY+ mHealth app.
• To create a culturally sensitive mobile health tool for African-American breast cancer patients.
• To enhance endocrine therapy adherence through technology.

Main Methods:

• A concurrent convergent mixed methods study was conducted.
• Recruited 20 African-American women with estrogen-positive breast cancer on endocrine therapy.
• Assessed smartphone/computer use for healthcare and identified adherence factors for app development.

Main Results:

• Participants predominantly preferred smartphones over computers for health management.
• Key smartphone uses included communication with providers/pharmacies, exercise tracking, and patient portal access.
• Identified four core aspects for app development: willingness to use, side effects, social connection, and beliefs about therapy.

Conclusions:

• Further development of a culturally sensitive app is needed for African-American breast cancer patients.
• The study indicates a strong potential for app utilization to connect survivors and manage endocrine therapy.
• This research highlights the importance of integrating patient-reported factors into mHealth interventions.