Oncologic treatment support via a dedicated mobile app: a prospective feasibility evaluation (OPTIMISE-1)

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Patient Care

Background:

• Mobile health (mhealth) is increasingly adopted in healthcare, but its benefits in radiation oncology are underexplored.
• A mobile treatment surveillance app was developed to enhance patient care during radiotherapy using patient-reported outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of app-based treatment surveillance for patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT).
• To evaluate technical practicability, patient acceptance, satisfaction, and quality of life during RT.

Main Methods:

• Prospective single-center study at Heidelberg University Hospital (August 2018 - January 2020).
• Patients completed quality of life, symptom, and treatment satisfaction questionnaires via a mobile app on a tablet.
• Primary endpoint: fraction of patients completing ≥80% of app items; secondary endpoints: quality of life and patient satisfaction.

Main Results:

• 49 cancer patients (breast, pelvic, lung, prostate) were analyzed.
• 79.6% of patients completed ≥80% of app items; breast cancer patients had the highest completion rate (92.9%).
• A mean of 227.5 ± 48.25 questions were answered per patient.

Conclusions:

• Mobile app-based symptom and quality of life reporting during RT is feasible and well-accepted by patients.
• High patient acceptance (79.6% completion rate) was observed.
• The app facilitates resource-efficient feedback to medical staff and aids in side effect assessment.