Supportive Care Interventions for People With Cancer Assisted by Digital Technology: Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Digital health
• Oncology
• Supportive Care

Background:

• Digital health interventions are rapidly growing, enhancing access to care.
• They offer potential improvements for supportive cancer care, especially post-pandemic.
• Digital technologies can overcome barriers like location, time, and patient health status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review digital health interventions for supportive cancer care.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in adult cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Systematic search of multiple databases (2000-2020).
• Included randomized controlled trials of clinician-led digital health interventions.
• Assessed study quality using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Main Results:

• Twenty randomized controlled trials were analyzed.
• Interventions varied in duration, frequency, technology use, and outcomes.
• Most digital interventions significantly improved patient-reported symptoms, fatigue, quality of life, and depression.

Conclusions:

• Digital health interventions are effective for supportive cancer care.
• There is a need for more high-quality research with standardized measures.
• Future research should focus on patient/clinician engagement and methodological rigor.