Building Patient-Facing Technology: A REDCap-Based Approach

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Empowerment

Background:

• Transitions of care present challenges for cancer patients managing medications and symptoms.
• Existing tools may not adequately support patient self-tracking and engagement during these critical periods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the architecture design of a patient-facing technology (PFT) for cancer patient self-management.
• To leverage the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) platform and other tools to support medication and symptom tracking.
• To apply Chronic Care Model (CCM) and User-Centered Design (UCD) principles for a personalized patient application.

Main Methods:

• Iterative design and development of four major versions of the PFT.
• Integration of REDCap platform with other tools for enhanced functionality.
• Involvement of patient representatives in prototype evaluation.

Main Results:

• The PFT architecture was successfully designed and evolved through multiple versions.
• REDCap demonstrated adaptability beyond its standard survey functions for PFT development.
• Patient feedback informed prototype improvements and highlighted design considerations.

Conclusions:

• The developed PFT architecture offers a framework for patient self-management tools.
• REDCap can be effectively utilized for building sophisticated patient-facing technologies.
• Future research should focus on sustainable development strategies for PFTs in cancer care.