Electronic Patient Reported Outcome Measures after palliative radiotherapy: evaluation of implementation.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Digital Health
• Patient Care

Background:

• Radiotherapy is a common palliative cancer treatment.
• Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (ePROMs) facilitate remote patient-provider communication.
• Integrating ePROMs into palliative radiotherapy (PRT) clinical practice presents challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the implementation of a novel ePROM intervention for symptom monitoring after PRT.
• Assess patient and healthcare provider (HCP) acceptance and usability of the ePRomT diary.
• Examine the intervention's impact on patient engagement and adherence to care recommendations.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase study utilized the RE-AIM framework to assess ePROM implementation.
• A self-developed ePROM intervention, the ePRomT diary, provided automated advice and HCP contact guidance.
• Data collected via surveys, interviews, EHRs, and field notes; analyzed quantitatively (descriptive statistics) and qualitatively (thematic analysis).

Main Results:

• Patient participation in the ePROM intervention significantly increased from Phase I (43%) to Phase II (82%).
• High patient satisfaction (93-98%) and willingness to reuse/recommend the ePRomT diary were reported.
• While patients found advice relevant, its generic nature was noted; HCPs found the intervention valuable with minimal workflow disruption.

Conclusions:

• The ePRomT diary demonstrates potential as a valuable tool for post-PRT symptom follow-up.
• Both patients and HCPs responded positively to the ePROM intervention.
• Further research is needed to optimize ePROM interventions for patient needs and clinical workflow integration in PRT.