A Tailored Self-Management App to Support Older Adults with Cancer and Multi-Morbidities: Development and Usability...

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Oncology
• Digital Health
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Cancer self-management interventions often overlook the complex needs of older adults with multiple comorbidities.
• Existing digital health tools in cancer care frequently lack co-design with older adults, limiting their tailored applicability.
• Older adults with cancer and multimorbidities require specialized support for symptom and medication management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a user-centered, co-designed self-and symptom-management mobile application for older adults with cancer and multiple comorbidities.
• To address the specific needs of older adults in cancer self-management through a digital health solution.
• To create a supportive digital tool that integrates symptom tracking and medication reminders.

Main Methods:

• Employed a user-centered design thinking framework.
• Recruited 18 older adults with cancer and 2 caregivers to participate in the design process.
• Developed a medium-fidelity app prototype through co-design workshops.

Main Results:

• Participants emphasized the need for robust symptom tracking functionalities to interpret health data.
• Clear visual displays and timely reminders were identified as crucial for managing polypharmacy.
• The co-design process highlighted the importance of a centralized 'home base' for symptom management.

Conclusions:

• A co-designed digital app can effectively support older adults with cancer and multimorbidities in self-management.
• Tailoring digital health tools through user-centered design is essential for older populations.
• The developed app prototype addresses key challenges including symptom monitoring and medication adherence.