Usability and acceptability of the electronic self-assessment and care (eSAC) program in advanced ovarian cancer: A...

To determine usability and acceptability of the electronic self-assessment and care (eSAC) web-based, patient reported outcome (PRO) program for people with advanced ovarian cancer.

Patient participants recruited from a single ambulatory site were prompted by email to answer symptom/quality of life items prior to each clinic visit. Patient participant acceptability was measured with the Acceptability E-Scale Score (AES). Usability was measured among a subset of patient participants using semi-structured interviews. Clinician participant acceptability and usability were measured via survey and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. A mixed methods analysis was performed.

Of 163 eligible patients approached, 143 (87.7%) provided written consent. Patient participants (n = 71) who created an eSAC report prior to at least 3 clinic visits, rated eSAC as acceptable with a mean AES score of 26.19 ± 3.36 (out of 30). Interview data from patient participants (n = 33) revealed that eSAC was easy to use and important to the clinic visit conversation. Data from clinician surveys (n = 8) and focus groups (n = 3) revealed that the eSAC program was acceptable and useful for clinicians. Qualitative analysis suggested process improvements from patients and clinicians for effectiveness in the advanced ovarian cancer setting. Mixed methods analysis demonstrated no major discrepancies between quantitative and qualitative findings, with the qualitative data broadening understanding of quantitative ratings.

eSAC was useful and acceptable in this setting. This PRO is a promising strategy for enhancing patient-centered care for people with advanced ovarian cancer.