Digital health for cancer symptom management in palliative medicine: systematic review

Digital health technologies (DHTs) play a crucial role in symptom management, particularly in palliative care, by providing patients with accessible tools to monitor and manage their symptoms effectively. The aim of this systematic review was to examine and synthesise the scientific literature on DHTs for symptom management in palliative oncology care.

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses from 2 June to 20 June 2024. Databases including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched. Data were extracted using a standardised form based on the PICOTT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Type and Technology) framework. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation (AGREE) II tool during the selection process.

The systematic review included seven articles describing six DHTs from five countries: the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, the Netherlands and the USA. The findings of this comprehensive literature review elucidate four principal themes: the specific types of DHTs used for symptom management in palliative cancer care, their roles and advantages, as well as the factors that limit or promote their adoption by patients and healthcare professionals.

The findings of this review give valuable insights into the ongoing discourse on integrating digital health solutions into palliative care practices, highlighting its potential role in enhancing symptom management within palliative cancer care and showcasing its possible benefits while also identifying key factors influencing their adoption among patients and healthcare professionals.